Once Upon a Time
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: A collection of Disney fairy tale retellings with the Young Justice characters. Season 1 couples (Spitfire, Chalant, Supermartian) The second story has begun! Sleeping Beauty, Chalant style.
1. Spitfire Tangled Part One

_A/N: A little side project I've been working on for awhile. This is a collection of my take on some classic Disney movies with the Young Justice characters. I have put my own spin on things._

_First up is Tangled. It stars Artemis as Rapunzel, Wally as Flynn, Jade as Mother Gothel, Robin as Pascal, Kaldur as Maximus, Roy as the Stabbington Brothers, and Ollie and Dinah as the King and Queen. Starr Kingdom is Star City. Nothing you recognize belongs to me; I'm just playing with it._

_With that said, I hope you enjoy!_

**Once Upon a Time**

**Spitfire – "Tangled" **

**Part One**

My name is Wallace Rudolph West. And this is the story of how I died.

Whoa! Don't look at me like that. It's actually a really good story. To be honest, it's not really even mine. This is the story of a girl named Artemis. It starts with the moon.

_Once upon a time, a single drop of moonlight fell from the skies. The drop of moonlight fell onto a silver flower and the flower was given the moonlight's magical properties. The power of the silver flower could cure the ill and heal the injured._

_Time passed. Soon a kingdom was formed only miles away from where the flower bloomed. The kingdom was ruled by King Oliver and Queen Dinah. The monarchs were beloved by their people. The only thing the people of Starr Kingdom wanted was an heir to the throne._

_Soon, a joyous King Oliver was able to decree that his people need not worry any longer. Queen Dinah was with child. The people of Starr Kingdom rejoiced, for they were sure that any prince or princess born to the king and queen would make an equally fine ruler someday._

_As Queen Dinah's body swelled with the child, she grew ill. King Oliver sent for the finest doctors in all the land, but no one could tell what ailed the fair queen. Fearing he would lose his wife and their child, Oliver sent his men to look for the magical silver flower. Though by this time the flower was only an urban legend, the king was willing to try anything._

_It was unfortunate indeed that the flower had been found centuries ago by a woman who called herself Cheshire. She used the flower's magic to keep herself young by singing a special song. Cheshire had never told anyone about her discovery, for she was a greedy, selfish person. When Cheshire got wind of the fact that Starr Kingdom's citizens were looking for the flower, Cheshire hid it._

_In her haste to get away from the search party late one night, Cheshire did not hide it properly. The captain of King Oliver's guard found the silver flower. Overjoyed, the captain dug up the flower. Cheshire watched from the shadows as this occurred. The evil woman was already plotting to steal the flower back._

_The captain brought the flower back to the palace. There, the flower's petals were placed in a bowl of broth and given to Queen Dinah. The magic healed the queen._

_The king and queen's daughter was born soon after. Oliver and Dinah were relieved to find that their daughter was not only beautiful, but that she was healthy. The queen's ailment did not affect the young princess in the least. King Oliver and Queen Dinah named their child Artemis after the goddess of the moon. Because the moon's powers had saved both the queen and the princess, it seemed a fitting tribute. _

_The princess's birth was the cause of much celebration. To commemorate Princess Artemis's birth, Oliver and Dinah launched a paper lantern into the sky. Many other people in the kingdom did as well. It was a beautiful sight._

_At last, everything in the kingdom seemed perfect._

_Until it wasn't._

_Shortly after Princess Artemis was born, Cheshire disguised herself and broke into the palace. She crept into the princess's nursery and whispered the song to the infant. Princess Artemis's hair began to glow a pale silvery color, just as the flower had in the past. Cheshire produced a pair of scissors and cut off a lock of Artemis's golden hair._

_Instantly, the hair stopped glowing. Cheshire felt all of her stolen youth flow out of her once more. Unwilling to be foiled, Cheshire snatched the baby princess from her cradle and disappeared into the night._

_A devastated King Oliver ordered the entire kingdom to be searched, but no one could find Princess Artemis. Cheshire had taken the baby far outside of the city's borders. She kept the child in a well-hidden tower, far away from prying eyes._

_Cheshire told Princess Artemis that her name was Jade and that they were orphaned sisters. Every night, Jade brushed Artemis's golden hair and sung the flower's song to her. Cheshire remained young. To ensure that Artemis would stay under her thumb, Cheshire told the girl about her magical hair and how greedy people would not hesitate to hurt her for it. That way, Artemis would always stay in the safety of the tower. _

_Still, Artemis was desperate to see the outside world. Each year on Artemis's birthday, Oliver and Dinah released hundreds of lanterns into the sky. They hoped she would see the lanterns one day and return home to them. And each year, Artemis waited until Jade was asleep so she could see the lights._

_Someday, she promised, she'd see them for herself._


	2. Spitfire Tangled Part Two

**Once Upon a Time**

**Spitfire – "Tangled" **

**Part Two**

The years passed quickly. Artemis's eighteenth birthday was fast approaching. This year, the girl had decided, she _would_ see those mysterious lights. She would learn what they meant.

Artemis had grown into a pretty young lady. Her eyes were a stormy gray; her complexion a smooth, flawless tan. Her simple outfit was a light green top with elbow length sleeves trimmed in lace and a darker green skirt. The most striking thing about the princess, however, was her hair. Cheshire had never allowed her to cut it, and as such, it was very long. Artemis's long golden locks often got in the way, but she was used to it by now. She'd never cut her hair; it was too useful.

It was a normal day in Artemis's tower. Her sister, Jade, had gone into town for supplies. This left Artemis free to play with her little robin friend. For lack of a better name, Artemis simply called the bird Robin. It was a true testament to how lonely and isolated Artemis felt that she had to seek companionship from a bird.

Artemis threw open the wooden shutters that covered the tower window. "Aha!" But Robin was not perched on the windowsill as he normally was. Artemis thought for a moment. Remembering her bird friend's penchant for hiding, Artemis called, "Oh well, I guess Robin's not here..."

Then the young woman heard the sound of Robin's familiar chirp. It almost sounded like a laugh. Smirking to herself, Artemis then used her lengthy hair to seize Robin by the leg from where he had been hiding. He clucked in a disapproving way. Artemis let the bird down.

"Want to hide again?" she asked the little robin. He shook his head. "Well, what do you want to do?" Artemis questioned. Robin chirped again and gestured outside with one red wing.

Remembering her sister's warnings of never leaving the tower, Artemis shook her head. "You know I can't go outside," she told the bird. Robin made a sound like a snort. Artemis tried to sound convincing as she scooped the bird into her palm. "It's not too bad in here. You know it's not."

The teenage girl straightened herself up once more and carried her feathered friend back inside. It was time to start the day's chores. Jade was due home by the end of the day, and Artemis knew how her sister liked a tidy home.

Artemis swept and mopped the tower's stone floors. She washed her spare dress as well as Jade's second outfit and hung them up to air dry. All of the wooden surfaces in the tower were dusted and polished. By the time all of this was done, it was nearly noon. So Artemis fixed herself some lunch, poring over a book about astronomy as she did so.

There were only a few things left to do before Jade arrived, so Artemis decided to do some more of the things she liked. Jade was always encouraging Artemis to be good at art, saying it was a proper activity for young ladies. Artemis always wanted her sister's approval, and because of that, the tower's interior was covered in small paintings. Anything that could be painted was.

Artemis's artwork had a recurring theme. The mysterious lights featured prominently, as well as a crescent moon. Jade said this was the kingdom's emblem, but Artemis thought there must be more to it than that. Jade's voice was always tight whenever she mentioned the kingdom and Artemis thought it must make her sister uncomfortable.

Today she painted herself looking up at those mystifying lights. In the corner of the dark blue sky, Artemis found herself creating yet another silver crescent moon. She couldn't help it; it was almost as if it were demanding to be drawn. Artemis chalked this up to the fact that she shared the name of the moon goddess.

The blonde girl started preparing a stew for supper. It was sure to be ready by the time her sister returned. With nothing else to do for the moment, Artemis took a seat on her canopy bed. She grabbed her hairbrush from the bedside table and began the long task of brushing her golden hair, waiting for her sister to come home.

0o0o0o0

Miles away, a duo of thieves made their way onto the roof of the palace. Wallace West, better known as "Kid Flash" and his associate, Roy Harper, had been planning this heist for months.

It was rumored throughout the kingdom that King Oliver and Queen Dinah kept Princess Artemis's tiara on a special pillow in the throne room. Kid Flash and Roy, also known as Speedy, were very interested to know if this rumor was true. Kid Flash was sure that the tiara would fetch him a fair bit of gold if offered to the right person.

The two redheads leapt from rooftop to rooftop. The pair were clever thieves and had managed to do this without being seen by any of the palace guards. As Roy went on ahead, Wally stopped in his tracks to look out at the kingdom. The view was a beautiful one; the whole city was visible from this height.

"I think I could get used to this," Wally said wistfully. Speedy, the more practical of the two, snorted dismissively and set about opening the skylight.

"Come on, West," Speedy said impatiently. The older man wanted to get this over with. Though the plan was a lucrative one, it was also an extremely risky one. Too many things could go wrong. And "Kid Flash" was too busy daydreaming to focus on their mission.

Wally ignored the other redhead. "I'm already used to it," he declared. "Speedy, I want a castle."

Still impatient with Kid Flash's antics, Roy seized Wally by the arm. "If this works, you can buy _ten_ castles."

Apparently, this was all the motivation the younger bandit needed. Kid Flash fastened the rope around his waist and gave the other end to Speedy. He made sure his grip on his red leather satchel was tight and gave the signal that he was ready to be lowered into the palace.

The rumor about the princess's crown was indeed true. Wally was pleased to see that the crown was indeed guarded, but that no one would be able to see him. Speedy continued to lower the rope until the diadem was in reach. Just as Kid Flash's fingers closed over the priceless item, one of the guards sneezed.

Kid Flash's weakness was that he was never able to shut up. He just had to tell everyone how clever he was. Delighted that he was about to steal the tiara right out from under the king's nose, Wally said, "Bless you."

The guard nodded, turning to thank him. Then the man realized just what Kid Flash was doing. "Drop that!" he commanded. But Wally just waved the crown in a taunting way as Speedy hoisted him back onto the roof.

Both redheads took off running as fast as their legs would carry them. As they crossed over the stone bridge that joined the kingdom and the woods, Wally yelled, "Don't you think I would look great in a castle of my own? Because I certainly do!"

Roy merely grunted and both crooks continued to run, the kingdom at their backs.

0o0o0o0

Up in the tower, Artemis was cleaning up her art supplies. "Today is the day," the girl swore to Robin, who was perched on her shoulder. "I'm going to ask Jade to take me to see the lights. She'll have to take me, right?" Robin gave Artemis an affectionate sort of peck for encouragement.

"Artemis! Let down your hair!" called the familiar voice of Jade. Artemis hurried over to the window and flipped her long hair over a nearby hook. "I'm not getting any younger!" Jade snarled from outside of the tower. Artemis hastily tossed her long shiny mane out of the tower, which Jade then used to be pulled up into the fortress.

Jade climbed into the room. She was wearing her signature green dress and a long black velvet cape. "Welcome home, Jade," Artemis greeted her sister. She held her arms out, expecting a hug. However, Jade brushed right past the blonde girl. She set the supplies down near the stove and then sank into the best armchair near the fireplace.

"I don't know how you manage to do that every day," Jade said. "It looks tiring and painful, Artemis."

Slightly embarrassed, Artemis shifted a little bit. She looked down at her bare feet. "It's really nothing, Jade," the teenager mumbled.

Jade's voice turned cold as she questioned, "Then why does it take so long?" Artemis was taken aback by her sister's venom. Then the older woman raised herself from the chair. She gave Artemis a rather condescending pat on the head and added, "I'm only teasing, dear." Jade moved past where Artemis stood to stare into the looking glass in the ornate silver frame.

Artemis forced herself to laugh at Jade's comment and then followed after her sister. "As you know, Jade, tomorrow is my birthday," the blonde girl began. She frowned at the obvious nervousness in her tone, but forced herself to keep going. "And I thought that you could take me into the city so I could see the lights. You know, like a gift-"

"Artemis," Jade interrupted sharply. She was still gazing lovingly at her own reflection. "Look in the mirror, Artemis," the dark haired woman instructed. "I see a beautiful, confident, smart young girl." The teenager saw a smile grow on her face. Then Jade said, "And you're here, too." She laughed heartily at her own joke.

The younger sister decided to ignore this. "So, Jade, do you think we could go?"

"I'm feeling worn out from the long journey I just completed," Jade stated, completely disregarding Artemis's inquiry. "Why don't you get your hairbrush and come sit by the fire with me? You can sing our special song."

Knowing it was always best to do as Jade asked, Artemis obeyed. Her beautiful blonde hair trailed behind her as Artemis ran up the short flight of steps to her bedroom. She returned with the brush and ushered Jade back into the comfortable armchair. Artemis brought over a little stool and perched on it. She thrust the comb into Jade's hand and spit out the lyrics to the song in a rush.

Cheshire dragged the brush through Artemis's locks as fast as she could. But it simply wasn't enough for her to absorb the magic. She gave Artemis's hair a sharp tug and ordered, "Do it slower."

Artemis repeated the song. The magic flowed into Cheshire once more. "Much better," Jade said.

"So you didn't answer my question," Artemis prompted. "Can we go to see the lights?"

Jade froze for a moment, surprised at this request. She had hoped Artemis would drop it. "You must mean the stars," Jade said finally. "We can see them from right here in the tower."

The blonde teenager shook her head. "They're not stars," she said firmly. Artemis noted that Jade's brown eyes narrowed at her declaration. Not willing to back down, Artemis continued, "I've charted stars before. Stars are constant. But these lights only appear on my birthday. I have to see them for myself so I can figure out what they mean."

"You want to go outside?" Jade questioned. Artemis could hear the danger in her sister's voice. Jade slammed the window coverings shut before turning and advancing towards Artemis. "My dear Artemis. You can't leave the tower. You know why we stay up here."

"But I'm going to be eighteen,-" Artemis protested.

The dark haired woman ignored the younger blonde. "You've never been outside, Artemis. You don't know what dangers lurk around every corner. There's poison ivy, bugs, quicksand, criminals ... You would _never_ survive." Jade wrapped Artemis in a tight hug. "I'm your sister and I have to protect you. I love you very much. Now, the only thing I ask is that you never ask to leave the tower again. Do you understand?"

Though Jade asked this question in a sugary sweet voice, Artemis could hear the menacing undertone. Finally, she nodded. Jade patted the top of Artemis's head in that same condescending way once more and then requested to be let down again. She announced that she was going to go pick some berries to eat after dinner. Artemis watched her sister disappear into the woods with longing in her heart.

0o0o0o0

Wally and Roy had now reached the forest. Both men were sure they had outrun the palace guards. They stopped next to a thick oak tree to catch their breath. Wally spotted two "Wanted" posters and pulled them down to examine them. He scowled at the sketch of himself. "This is awful," the younger bandit declared. "My nose is not this big!"

Speedy shook his head in disbelief. "What does it matter?" he inquired, clearly thinking there were better things to be concerned about.

"It's easy for you to say," Wally muttered. "You look great." This was true. The drawing of Speedy's scowling face was identical to the one he currently wore. The drawing of Wally, however, included a comically large nose that was completely inaccurate to his actual one.

Just then, the two redheaded crooks heard the sound of horse hooves running through the forest. "There!" Roy shouted, pointing. Sure enough, there was a squad of about ten guards on horseback up on a ledge. The guards had spotted them and were on the move again.

Kid Flash and Speedy started running again. Unfortunately for them, they did not know the forest very well and ended up in a sort of quarry, unable to go any further. If they stayed here any longer, they were sure to be captured. Thinking quickly, Wally turned to the older boy, "Give me a boost. I'll pull you up."

Roy's blue eyes narrowed with mistrust. "Give me the tiara first," he stated.

Wally adopted a look of hurt. He had expected this, of course, and had no intention of helping Roy. But he could see Roy reconsidering. Kid Flash kept going with this. "After everything we've been through, don't you trust me?"

Finally, Speedy walked over to the wall of stone and boosted Wally over. Once Kid Flash was back onto the grass, he double checked the satchel and found that the diadem was indeed still inside. "Help me up!" he heard Speedy call as the sound of hooves drew even closer.

"No can do!" Wally yelled cheerfully. He took off along the path again, running like the wind. The redhead heard Roy curse him. This only made Kid Flash grin even wider.

Then he heard the sound of arrows being shot at him. Wally swerved to avoid being hit and changed direction. One guard managed to alter his course to match the thief. "We'll get him this time, Kaldur!" the guard said to his horse. As if agreeing, Kaldur the horse whinnied joyfully.

The redhead didn't call himself Kid Flash for nothing. He veered off of the path again and grabbed a long vine hanging from a nearby tree. He swung around the tree holding onto the vine and came around, knocking the guard of off Kaldur.

The horse came to a sudden stop. Wally urged the horse to go on, but he refused. Then the horse tried to grab the satchel away. Kaldur moved them closer and closer to the edge of a cliff as they fought over the bag. Then Wally lost his grip on the satchel and it went hurtling over the edge. "Look what you did!" the redhead yelled. Kaldur looked kind of smug.

Wally dove after the bag. Kaldur, obviously still thinking he could turn Kid Flash in, followed. Miraculously, Wally landed at the bottom of the cliff without any serious injury. Wally managed to grab the satchel and hid behind a rock until Kaldur began to trot away, somehow uninjured. The redheaded thief spotted a couple of arrows on the forest floor and deduced that they must have fallen out of Kaldur's saddlebags. Wally pocketed them, thinking they might come in handy.

Wally continued to move through the forest, being careful to go in the opposite direction of the one Kaldur had headed in. He came upon a thick growth of weeping willow trees. The redhead pushed through the trees and came upon something most unusual.

There was a giant tower in the middle of nowhere.


	3. Spitfire Tangled Part Three

**Once Upon a Time**

**Spitfire – "Tangled" **

**Part Three**

Wally felt his gaze go wide. It was like this tower had fallen from the sky, just for him. He heard Kaldur the horse whinny somewhere in the distance and decided not to waste this opportunity to hide.

The redheaded thief took two of the arrows he had found, one in each hand. He stretched up his arms as far as he could reach and stabbed the arrows into the mortar between the rocks that made up the fortress. To Wally's great delight, it worked very well. Slowly but surely, he was able to scale the tower.

He finally made it into the tower through an open window. Exhausted, the young man leaned heavily against a wall covered in paintings of silver crescent moons. Wally took another look into his satchel to check that the tiara was still there. Sure enough, the crown was still safe inside. "Alone at last," Kid Flash murmured.

And then something hit him from behind. Everything went black and he crumpled to the ground.

0o0o0o0

Artemis did not know what to make of this situation. She was afraid that this was what Jade had always warned her about. People would only want to use her if she were around them. At that moment, Artemis truly appreciated everything her sister had done to protect her all these years.

Once the strange man lay unconscious on her bedroom floor, Artemis ducked behind the dressmaker's dummy she kept in her room. The teenager peeked out at her unwanted visitor, her mind racing. She was sure that her sister would find some way to blame her for this. She tried to push these thoughts away.

The stranger was taller than she was. He had red hair and pale skin. He was wearing a pale yellow shirt under a dark red vest, tan breeches, and brown boots. There was a red leather bag next to him.

Artemis cautiously moved closer to the man. She gripped the cast iron skillet that she had used to knock him out with tightly. The blonde girl wasn't sure how long he'd be unconscious and she didn't want to be defenseless should he wake up suddenly.

She prodded him gently with the frying pan's handle so that she could get a better look at this stranger. Up close, Artemis could see a smattering of freckles across the man's face. This made him look a lot less threatening, in Artemis's opinion.

The girl looked over at her feathered companion from his perch atop her canopy bed. Robin swooped down for a better look. Artemis could have sworn that she saw the bird shrug.

The red haired man grunted suddenly as he came to. He opened his eyes, which Artemis could see were a startling shade of green. Panicking, she promptly swung the frying pan down on him once more.

She had to find a way to hide him until she could figure out a solution. Artemis took a portion of her lengthy hair and bound it around the man's torso. The blonde girl managed to drag the stranger over to the wardrobe that stood at the far end of the room. With a great deal of effort, Artemis managed to stuff the redheaded intruder inside.

No sooner had she gotten him in there did he tumble out again. Artemis scowled and thought for a moment. She had to keep him from getting out on his own. She shoved the stranger into the wardrobe again and then dragged a small wooden chair over to where the man was entombed. The blonde teenager tilted the chair at an angle and placed the back of it under the bureau's handle. That would surely do the trick until she had time to figure out the next step.

Artemis backed away from the closet slowly. As she did this, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. A smile formed on her face. "Who can't handle herself now, Jade?" She gave the frying pan a few extra swings, feeling pretty good about how she'd handled the situation.

Then Artemis saw something else in the mirror. In the confusion of trying to hide the stranger, his bag had somehow come open. The teenager's gray gaze fell on what appeared to be a tiara.

Curious, Artemis walked over to the bag and pulled the tiara out of it. The crown was very pretty. It was made of silver, with three teardrop-shaped emeralds at the front. On either side of the emeralds was a mother-of-pearl crescent moon. Artemis wondered where the intruder had gotten such a pretty, delicate thing.

Artemis turned back to her looking glass. She placed the crown on top of her head and examined her reflection. The diadem fit her perfectly, and the emeralds went very nicely with her dress. She smiled slightly at the sight of it and Robin gave an encouraging sort of chirp from his perch on top of the mirror's frame.

This was interrupted by Jade announcing her return from outside of the tower. "Artemis, let down your hair!" the older girl called. Artemis scrambled to hide both the tiara and the satchel in a decorative orange pot. She forced herself to be calm as she hurried over to the window and began the process of pulling her sister into the tower.

"I have a surprise for you," Jade stated as she climbed in through the window.

'_That's funny,'_ Artemis thought. _'Because I have one for you.'_

Jade thrust the basket she had been using to collect berried at the younger girl. "I found parsnips," she said, sounding much too excited about such a mundane thing. "I'm going to make hazelnut soup for your birthday dinner! Surprise!"

"There's something I have to tell you, Jade," Artemis began, only to be interrupted at once by the dark haired girl.

"You'd better not be talking about the stars," Jade said in a firm voice. "Because I really thought I made myself clear to you earlier."

Annoyed, Artemis corrected her older sister at once. "They're floating lights. But I was getting to that. You told me I can't handle myself, but I _can_. If you just look in here-"

"Do not mention the lights ever again!" Jade exploded in a rage. "You are never going to leave this tower! Ever!"

The blonde girl was taken aback by her sister's outraged shouting. Stunned, Artemis removed her hand from the chair keeping the wardrobe shut.

Jade fell into her favorite armchair in a rather dramatic fashion. "Now I look like a villain," the older girl stated, pinching the bridge of her nose. Artemis said nothing, choosing instead to look at her latest painting. She _had_ to see those lights. Artemis knew she'd never be at peace until she found out what they meant.

The only option left to the teenager was deception. "All I was going to say, Jade, was that I thought of something else for a birthday present." Artemis said this carefully, hoping her sister would respond well. Jade did in fact look slightly more receptive to an alternative gift. "Remember those special paints you brought me from the coast? The ones made from the seashells?"

"That's a long journey, Artemis," Jade said slowly. "You'd be here alone for nearly a week by the time I got there and back."

"I thought it would be better than going to see the...stars." The blonde girl knew this part was critical. She kept her eyes downcast and her voice quiet as she said the last part.

Finally, Jade rose from the chair. "Are you sure you'll be alright here alone?" the older girl questioned.

Artemis closed the distance between herself and her sister, giving Jade a tight hug. "I know I'm safe up here," she answered.

Jade pulled on her black travelling cape. Artemis emptied the basket of berries and parsnips and packed it with foods that that would last longer on the road. Then she used her magnificent blonde mane to lower her sister out of the tower once more. The teenage girl watched her sister until Jade was no longer visible.

When Artemis was certain that her sister had gone, she crept back over to the wardrobe, frying pan in hand. With her free hand, Artemis moved the chair from in front of the door. She swung a section of her hair like a lasso and attached it to the door handle. Then she yanked it open and the man fell out.

She moved forward to examine him again, but he was still unconscious. Satisfied, Artemis dragged him to where the chair sat. It took awhile, but finally Artemis managed to position him upright. She then wove her hair around him in an intricate pattern so he was completely bound to the chair.

Robin was clearly just as interested in the man as she was. The red bird perched on the man's shoulder, peering at him with beady little bird eyes. Robin then hit the man's face with one of his wings. The strange intruder did not respond. Undeterred, Robin sank his tiny talons into the man's shoulder.

He woke with a start.

0o0o0o0

When Wally came to, he had no idea where he was. He could also feel a bump on his head that had to be at least the size of an egg.

The thief looked around. He was in a circular room decorated with what had to be hundreds of paintings. The tower! He remembered now. He had tricked his associate Speedy into handing over the princess's tiara and kept it for himself.

Wally then realized that he was tied to the chair he was sitting in. He looked down and felt his widen in horror when he realized he was bound by _human_ hair.

Kid Flash's green eyes followed the trail of hair around the tower. There had to be at least one hundred feet of the shiny blonde locks. He was not looking forward to meeting whoever apparently lived in this tower. It was obviously some kind of crazy hermit if the ridiculous amount of hair was anything to go by.

"Don't struggle. It's pointless," said a girl's voice. She was clearly trying to sound as if she weren't afraid, but Wally definitely detected a quaver of fear.

Wally looked up and saw that the voice had come from the rafters. The girl who had spoken was also the owner of the golden hair. She was clutching a cast iron frying pan. At least now he knew why his head hurt so badly.

There was a low thudding sound. The girl leapt down from the rafters in a graceful way, landing lightly on her feet. Kid Flash noticed that she was still gripping her frying pan.

"I know why you came here," the girl said in an accusatory tone. "But I won't let you have it. I'm not frightened of you."

"What?" Wally spluttered in a particularly undignified manner. Why would _she_ be afraid of him? Clearly, this girl was the one to be afraid of. She was crazy.

His very blonde companion stepped into the light. Wally's first thought was that it was too bad this girl was so totally insane. She was _beautiful_. Her hair may have been too long, but it framed her pretty face nicely. She had stormy gray eyes that were slightly narrowed as they looked at him. And, as crazy as it was, he almost liked the way she was wielding the skillet.

The girl raised the frying pan in a threatening way. "Who are you? How did you find me?"

Wally had always been a quick thinker. He was sure that this mysterious girl would fall for the old Kid Flash charms just like all the others. The redhead cleared his throat and began, "I don't know who you are, or how I came to find you. But may I just say that you are beautiful?" And then he gave her his best smile. "My name is Kid Flash. You may have heard of me." The girl's silvery eyes narrowed in a way that suggested she had not, in fact, heard of him.

"Who else knows where I am, Kid Flash?" She made a scoffing sound. "What kind of name is that, anyway?"

Insulted that she'd made fun of his name, Wally narrowed his own eyes. "Blondie-"

"Artemis."

"Fine. Artemis. I was being chased through the forest. I saw your tower. I climbed up with-" And then the redhead realized that his bag with the precious crown was no longer on his person. "Where's my satchel?" Wally demanded.

The girl – Artemis – crossed her arms over her chest. She looked awfully smug. "I hid it. You'll never find it."

Wally took another look around the circular room. His gaze fell on an orange port. "I bet it's in there."

This time he saw it coming when she hit him with the skillet.

He woke up again to the little bird pinching him. "Ow! Would you make him stop doing that?"

Artemis had adopted her smug expression once more. "_Now_ it's somewhere you'll never find it, Kid Flash." She walked towards him. Wally felt himself flinch. Artemis began circling his chair. "What do you want with my hair? To cut it? Sell it?"

"No! I don't want anything to do with your hair! I just want to get out of it! And I mean that in a literal sense!"

She looked confused. "You really don't want my hair?"

Wally shook his head to emphasize this. I told you. I was being chased. I saw the tower. I climbed it. That's it."

Artemis sounded dubious as she asked, "So you're telling the truth?"

"Yes!" Wally insisted. The bird flew off of its perch on Artemis's shoulder and landed along the rim of the skillet. If it were possible for a bird to glare, Wally would swear that the robin was glaring at him. The stupid thing was that the look was rather menacing.

Artemis tucked the skillet under one arm and scooped the bird into her palm. Wally heard snatches of conversation that made it seem as if she were talking to it. "I know, Robin, but someone has to show me...I think he's telling the truth. What other option do I have?"

Then she turned back to face him. "Alright, Kid Flash, do you know what these are?" Artemis asked. She pointed out one of the many paintings covering the tower walls. As far as Wally could tell, the painting was simply dozens of the lanterns released into the sky every year, with a tiny Artemis looking up at them.

"That's the lantern thing the king and queen do for the lost princess."

"Lanterns," Artemis repeated softly, more to herself than to him. "I knew they weren't stars." Robin chirped, as if in agreement. "Well, tomorrow these lanterns will be in the night sky. If you want the satchel back, you will take me to see them and then escort me back here safely."

Wally shook his head. He struggled pointlessly against his bonds. "I can't do that. The kingdom and I...don't see eye to eye on certain things. Hence why I was _running away from it_."

The red robin perched on Artemis's shoulder mimed for her to hit him with the frying pan again. Artemis ignored her feathered friend and used her lengthy hair to pull Wally and his chair closer to her. The blonde girl leaned in dangerously close to him. "Something brought you here," she said firmly. "Destiny, a twist of fate..."

"It was a horse," the thief told her flatly.

Artemis didn't seem to hear this part. "I have decided to trust you."

Wally couldn't believe this girl. "That's a horrible decision."

Her eyes were narrowed again. "You can tear the tower apart stone by stone. But I _promise_ that you will never find that satchel without me to help you."

The redhead was thinking quickly again. "If I take you to see the lanterns, I can have my bag back?" he questioned.  
"That's the deal."

Kid Flash could see no other option. He looked up at Artemis with his patented expression of seduction, which he had nicknamed "The Smolder." Artemis, however, was seemingly unimpressed by this and regarded him with a blank expression on her face. "Well, that's never happened," Wally pouted. "The Smolder always works. Fine, I'll take you to the lanterns."

Artemis smiled for the first time and unbound him from the chair. The redhead seized the arrows he had used to scale the tower with and started down once more. The thief was halfway down before he realized that Artemis had yet to follow him. She stood in the window frame, hesitating.

"Are you coming?" Kid Flash demanded.

Artemis's long golden mane went soaring past him.

0o0o0o0

Artemis let down her hair and used it as a rope, just like Jade had done so many times. She was just inches off the ground when she hesitated again. If she went back now, she wouldn't technically break her promise to Jade.

But she was so close now. She had to do this. So she did.

Her first reaction was joy. The sun was shining and birds were chirping. For the first time ever, Artemis ran though the forest, her long hair flying out behind her. She laughed heartily at the sheer bliss of it all.

"I can't believe I did this!" she shouted happily as Kid Flash followed her, looking less than thrilled about their little arrangement. "I can't believe I did this," Artemis repeated softly, thinking of Jade and how angry and disappointed her sister would be if she ever found out. "My sister would be furious if she knew."

Artemis sat down on a nearby boulder and hid her face in her hands. She was attempting to think over what to do. She heard Kid Flash approach her and clear his throat.

"You seem at war with yourself here," he said. "I'm going to let you out of the deal. I'll take you home now, your sister will never know, you'll give me back my satchel, and we'll be unlikely friends who never see each other again."

But Artemis knew in her heart that she must not give up. "No," she said finally. "I have to see the lanterns."

Kid Flash scowled, but relented. "Worth a try," he said.

There was a crackling sound from a cluster of bushes. Artemis dove behind Kid Flash, gripping one of his hands with her free one. "Is it bandits?" she asked.

Kid Flash snorted and let go of her hand immediately. He stepped aside for her so she could see that the maker of the noise was simply a fluffy gray rabbit. "I'm jumpy." Artemis found herself explaining crossly as she folded her arms over her chest. "I've never been outside before."

The redhead nodded. "It's probably a good idea to avoid bandits though," he said slowly. Artemis nodded, and he spoke up again. "Are you hungry? I know a great little tavern."

0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Cheshire was almost out of the forest when she heard a suspicious sound, like a branch being broken. The woman looked around and saw a rather handsome brown horse with a pale yellow mane and tail. There were wavy black lines on his front legs. The horse looked disappointed, as if expecting to see someone else.

"A palace horse," Cheshire said slowly upon catching sight of the crescent moon emblem adorning the horse's harness. "But where's your rider?"

Cheshire wheeled around and ran through the forest as fast as she could, expertly dodging the various obstacles littering the forest floor. In a considerably short time, Cheshire was back at the tower. "Artemis!"

There was no response. Cheshire hurried to the door on the other side of the tower. It had been years since she'd needed to use it and ivy had long since grown over the door. Cheshire ripped the plants away and threw open the door. It opened up into a passageway that came into the middle of the floor in the tower's main room.

The tower was dark. Artemis was nowhere to be seen. "Artemis! Artemis!"

Cheshire fell to the floor in despair. She would not miss the girl, but without Artemis's magic hair, she would die. She wondered how much longer she would have to live. Cheshire looked around the room for any clues as to where Artemis had gone. Something shiny caught her eye. She got up again and crossed to it.

Hidden under the staircase was Artemis's tiara from when she had been an infant princess. She tossed it aside angrily and then looked inside the red leather bag once more. Folded up inside was a Wanted poster with the name Kid Flash underneath it.

Cheshire narrowed her eyes. Then she repacked the bag with the crown and the Wanted poster. She then went into her own bedroom and took out her sai from its hiding place.

She set out again, determined to get Artemis back.

0o0o0o0

Artemis followed Kid Flash through the forest. As they turned around another bend, Artemis saw a sign that said "The Watchtower." A shabby, rundown sort of building stood slightly beyond that.

Kid Flash through open the door and announced, "Your finest table, please!"

The room's occupants all turned to look at them at once. Artemis heard herself gasp at the sight of the patrons. Most were men, but there were a few women as well. All of them seemed to have weapons on their persons, as well as strange insignias that the blonde girl didn't recognize. All wore the same kind of scowl. She was instantly nervous and found herself inching closer to Kid Flash. He had brought her to this place; the least he could do was stay between her and the other customers.

A man with a pointed "A" emblem on his belt caught hold of Artemis' mane. "That is a lot of hair."

Artemis gathered up as much of her hair as she could hold and held out her frying pan, ready to swing if anyone came too near for her liking. Kid Flash, meanwhile, was looking at her with the teenager judged to be mock concern. "If you can't handle a place like this, I should take you home."

The blonde teenager threw a glare in her companion's direction as he attempted to usher her out the door. But before they were able to leave, one of the bigger customers with a bat emblem on his chest slammed the door shut. He held up a Wanted poster adorned with what was clearly a drawing of Kid Flash. "This is you," the bat man said flatly. "Billy! Go find those soldiers that were just in here. I could use that reward."

One of the other patrons who looked younger than the others scurried off at once. Kid Flash had been seized by one of the women. She was tall with shiny black hair and had a "W" on her outfit. "I could use it more."

The redhead was passed around the whole tavern as patrons fought over him. Artemis knew she had to help him or she would lose her guide.

Artemis stood up on one of the chairs that had been abandoned. "Put him down!" the teenager shouted about the racket. She swung her frying pan around a few times for good measure. The man who was holding Kid Flash put him down. The redhead then slunk away to a corner, obviously hoping no one would notice him again for awhile. But Artemis could have sworn that he shot her a grateful look, if only for a second.

Now that she had the thugs' attention, Artemis felt a little nervous. What if they decided to fight over her next? But she had to be brave. "None of you are going to turn him in," she stated with an authority in her voice that she hadn't even known she'd had. Several pairs of eyes glared at her, but the girl stood firm. "He's taking me to see the lanterns. I've been dreaming about it my whole life."

There was a lengthy silence. Then the bat man said, "I had a dream once. I wanted to learn how to play piano."

"I want to fall in love!" exclaimed a thug with an ornate "S" design on his chest.

One by one, all of the patrons shared their dreams. Even Kid Flash mumbled something about wanting to live alone on an island far away, surrounded by wealth. No one noticed Cheshire's dark figure watching through the window.


	4. Spitfire Tangled Part Four

**Once Upon a Time**

**Spitfire – "Tangled" **

**Part Four**

The thug who had been dispatched to find the soldiers returned almost immediately after they had all finished confessing their dreams to one another. He burst in through the door and announced, "I found the guards!" The pleased expression on his face made it clear that he was expecting to be praised.

Kid Flash seized Artemis by the wrist and pulled her behind the bar. They were barely hidden from view before the squad of guards came into the tavern, towing Speedy with them. "Where is he?" the highest ranking solider demanded. "Where is Kid Flash?"

Artemis looked at the redheaded thief beside her. He wore an absolutely terrified expression on his face. His skin was stark white and she could see that his freckles were standing out even more than usual.

There were footsteps coming closer to the spot where they were hidden. Artemis felt her own heart rate increase in terror as well. If Kid Flash were to be captured now, all of this would have been for nothing. It occurred to Artemis that she had no idea what would happen to her should the guards take Kid Flash now. In the unlikely event that she would be allowed to go free, the blonde girl was sure that she did not know the way home. And it seemed far more likely that she would be viewed as an accomplice and punished accordingly.

The head guard spoke again. "I know he's in here! I will turn this place upside down if necessary! Kid Flash has made a mockery of the kingdom's militia and I refuse to stand for it any longer!"

Artemis could hear sounds of the tavern being searched. Chairs were rearranged and tables were lifted away. It was only a matter of time before the guards thought to check behind the bar.

Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde girl saw the bat man put a hand on her companion's shoulder. He said nothing, but jerked his head to the side instead. Artemis felt grateful immediately. She and Kid Flash followed the bat man down the length of the bar, crawling on the floor to avoid being seen.

The bat man touched a panel in the wall and a trap door moved aside to reveal a secret passageway. The thug knelt down between Artemis and Kid Flash. "Live your dream," he said quietly.

"I will," Kid Flash whispered back in a reassuring tone.

The bat man glared at the crook. "I was talking to her," he said pointedly. "_Your_ dream is stupid."

Kid Flash looked annoyed by this comment. He crawled into the passageway first, apparently determined to get away as fast as he could. Artemis paused to look up at the bat man. "Thank you," she said softly, "for not selling us out for the reward money." The teenager smiled and then checked that Robin was still with her and that she had a good grip on her skillet. Then she followed after Kid Flash.

0o0o0o0

In the tavern, the guards were becoming irritated that there was no sign of Kid Flash anywhere. "He's not upstairs, sir," one of the guards informed the captain, having just conducted a thorough search of the upstairs bedroom. The captain scowled as the door flew open once more.

Kaldur the horse stood in the doorway. "Kaldur," the captain breathed in relief. He had been worried about his horse. Kaldur trotted into the restaurant and poked his long nose around until he found something very interesting. He placed one hoof on the same panel that revealed the secret passageway. The horse looked awfully satisfied.

So did the head soldier. "A passage!" He turned to look at his fellow soldiers. "Let's get him. Logan, you can stay with Speedy here. Make sure he stays put."

The youngest soldier looked up at the tall redhead. He was clearly intimidated. As well he should have been. Roy swept the young guard's legs out from underneath him and took advantage of this. He was able to use the soldier's weapon to cut his shackles off of his bound hands. "Now to get the crown," he murmured.

0o0o0o0

Cheshire watched this unfold with narrowed eyes. She noted how "Speedy" was apparently looking for the crown as well. Having someone to team up with against "Kid Flash" could very well come in handy as she plotted to get Artemis back.

One of the tavern's patrons came tumbling out of the building. He was humming a tune and mumbling about dreams. Then he looked at her in an appreciative way, clearly admiring her beauty. Cheshire smiled and moved in closer as she pretended to enjoy the flattering gaze. Then she drew her sai and asked in a low, dangerous voice, "Where does that tunnel let out?"

0o0o0o0

Wally led the way through the passage by light of a lantern that had been hanging near the entrance. Artemis walked along beside him, still looking pretty proud of herself for the way she had handled things back at the tavern. "That was some quick thinking you did," the redhead told her. "I'm glad you were there, or else I'd probably be on my way to prison."

She gave him a pleased smile at his compliment. Then she said, "Well, I need you to _not_ be in prison, or this whole trip was pointless." But it was a little too late for Wally to buy this little act of her pretending not to like him. And he realized that he liked her, too despite the fact that she had taken his satchel.

There was silence for a moment. Then the blonde girl took a step sideways so that she was closer to him. Wally arched an eyebrow. "So, Kid Flash," Artemis began, "where are you from?"

This was the kind of question that Wally hated to answer. He shook his head. "I don't talk about that," Wally told his companion firmly. "I don't tell anyone my back story." Artemis frowned and Wally could tell that she was ready to start nagging at him for details, so the crook quickly changed the subject to her. "If you want to see the lanterns so much, how come you never went before?"

Artemis gave a nervous laugh and glanced down at the robin on her shoulder. "Well," she began, "I-" And she was cut off by a small stone dropping onto her head from above. "Ow!"

The walls began to shake. "Kid..." Artemis said as she wheeled around. Wally followed suit and felt his green eyes widen in horror as he saw the group of soldiers swarming towards them. Kaldur the horse was right behind the soldiers, whinnying joyously.

The crook saw Artemis bundle up her hair once more. "Run!" he shouted, giving her a hard push so that she would be in front of him,

Kid Flash and Artemis both ran as fast as they possibly could through the cave. Wally could see daylight just ahead. As they sprinted out, Wally could see that they were now atop a high cliff. They were trapped.

There was an ominous cracking sound from across the small quarry. Wally saw his old associate, Speedy, burst out from the boarded up mine shaft. "Who's that?" Artemis asked. Kid Flash thought he heard a touch of fear in her tone. He couldn't blame her. The menacing expression on Roy's face was not a good sign.

The palace guards had caught up with them. "Who are they?" Artemis asked.

"For the moment, just assume that no one here likes me," Wally answered.

He watched Artemis frown. Then she thrust her skillet into his hands. "Here." The blonde girl took a section of her long silky hair and used it as a lasso. The hair wound around a piece of wood across from them. She swung across the little canyon, leaving Wally very much on his own.

The redheaded crook turned around to face the king's soldiers once more. As the squadron advanced, drawing their swords, Wally let out a small whimper. "I've waited a long time for this," the captain said.

He took a good swipe at Wally. The thief barely managed to duck in time to avoid being sliced open. While the captain was off balance, Wally seized his chance. Kid Flash landed a solid blow to the side of the captain's head. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Kid Flash managed to fight off the guards one by one. When they all lay in a pile near the edge of the cliff, he laughed. He spun the skillet around in his hands. "I have got to get one of these for myself," Wally declared.

Kaldur the horse had picked up a sword in his mouth. He now brandished it at Wally, clearly looking for a fight.

So they fought. Wally blocked each strike with the skillet, dancing around the cliff top to avoid being hit. "This is the weirdest thing I've ever done," he said to himself.

Then Kaldur managed to knock the frying pan out of Wally's hand. It went soaring over the edge of the cliff. "Two out of three?" he asked Kaldur hopefully.

"Kid Flash!" Artemis yelled from her position across from him. Wally looked over his shoulder to see Artemis winding up her long mane of hair. She tossed the end of it towards him. It twirled around his hand firmly. Wally felt himself being tugged. He cheekily waved to Kaldur and allowed Artemis to rescue him.

Wally narrowly avoided being attacked by Roy as he swung across the canyon to the blonde girl. "You should see your face!" he sneered at the older redhead.

His little gloat was interrupted as he hit a platform jutting out from the rock. The wind was knocked out of him, but he'd live.

Across the quarry, Kaldur was kicking at one of the dam's support beams. He succeeded in knocking the beam down. Water came gushing forth. Kaldur and the now conscious guards quickly crossed the canyon using the beam as a bridge. They were drawing closer to Artemis, who stood frozen in fear. "Jump!" Wally yelled at her.

Artemis's expression became a determined one. She took a firm grip on her hair and swung across to where he was waiting for her.

They got running again as the dam burst forth. The guards and Kaldur were swept away, as was Roy. The force of the waves knocked over a large rock. Wally seized Artemis by the wrist again and pulled her into the mine shaft that Roy had come out of earlier. Unfortunately for them, the large boulder that had come loose settled in front of the entrance, trapping them.

Water continued to flow through the part of the mine shaft's entrance that wasn't blocked by the boulder. The small space was becoming increasingly filled with water. They were going to drown. Wally looked at Artemis, who was backed against a wall of rocks. The girl looked terrified.

He heard a clanking sound. Artemis was trying to beat the skillet against the rocks, but it did no good. She looked at him helplessly.

Kid Flash tried to help his companion by shoving against the rocks with all of his might. This effort resulted in nothing more than a cut across the palm of his left hand. Then he dove down into the depths of the water to search for a weak spot that they could exploit. There were none that the thief could see. It was simply too dark.

The redhead popped back up out of the water. "No use," he told Artemis. "I can't see anything,"

Artemis scowled and then attempted to mimic his actions. Wally grabbed his companion and pulled her out of the water. "Don't," he said as he tucked a section of wet blonde hair behind her ear. "It's black as night down there."

Artemis seemed to realize that he was right. She did not argue with him. She merely leaned against the rock wall next to him. He could see tears swimming in her stormy gray eyes. "This is my fault." She turned away from him slightly and sniffled a bit. "My sister was right. I can't survive on my own. I'm so sorry that I dragged you into this, Kid Flash."

"My real name is Wally West," he found himself blurting out.

"My hair glows when I sing," Artemis replied, apparently deciding that it was time for her to confess her secrets as well.

This was the strangest thing Wally had ever heard. "What?"

But a look of comprehension was dawning on Artemis's face. "My hair glows when I sing," she repeated. She said something about a flower that Wally didn't quite catch as water surged over the tops over the tops of their heads.

Wally opened his eyes to see that Artemis hadn't been lying. Her long golden locks were indeed glowing a strange silvery color. He almost gasped before remembering that he was underwater and that this would probably not be a good idea.

The silver light that Artemis's hair was casting showed what appeared to be a weak spot in the wall of stones. They both frantically started pulling at the rocks. Little by little the two managed to break down the wall and ended up in a stream on the other side.

Wally climbed out of the river, coughing and spluttering. He was soaking wet and shivering. The sun was already starting to go down. He figured that the next order of business would be to start a fire.

Artemis stumbled onto the river bank. Miraculously, she had managed to hold onto the skillet. The little red bird appeared to be unharmed as well. "We made it," she gasped.

"Your hair glows," Wally said stupidly. He looked at the robin next to him. "Why does her hair glow?" The bird seemed to shrug.

"Wally!" Artemis yelled impatiently. She was still fishing her long mane out of the stream. "It doesn't just glow. I can help you with your hand."

0o0o0o0

Cheshire found the site where the tunnel let out from the Watchtower. She lurked nearby, her sai already drawn. It was simple. She'd kill "Kid Flash" and bring Artemis back to the tower. Cheshire also knew she'd have to find some way to keep Artemis locked up better. Cheshire could not afford to let Artemis escape again.

There were noises from inside of the tunnel. Cheshire drew closer to the tunnel's entrance. Her sai was still gripped tightly in her hand.

The door of the passageway was flung open. A young man with red hair climbed out, but it was not "Kid Flash." It was the other crook, the one who had been captured by the king's soldiers.

Cheshire retreated into the shadows once more. She could hear the man coughing. Then he said, "I'll kill him if I ever get the chance. I swear I will." He sucked in a deep breath and said to himself, "I'll have to cut him off before he gets to the city. Then I'll steal the crown back."

A plan formed quickly in Cheshire's mind. She smirked evilly. Oh, yes, that would work nicely. If she could get this man to go along with her plan, she would get everything she wanted.

She stepped out from the shadows. "Or perhaps you should think for a moment," Cheshire taunted. The man turned, drawing a sword as he did so. His blue eyes widened as he saw the satchel containing the tiara dangling from her fingertips. She tossed it to him.

The man greedily ripped open the satchel to check that the tiara was still inside. He wore a look of triumph when he saw that it was.

"Well, if that's all you wanted, I should be on my way," Cheshire said. "But if you're interested, I know a way you could obtain something worth a thousand crowns. And the best part is that it would come with revenge on Kid Flash..."

He fell for it hook, line, and sinker. "Name's Speedy," he said. "Now what could be worth so much gold?"

Cheshire smiled her evil smile. And then she began to tell Speedy all about the girl with the magic golden hair.

0o0o0o0

Back beside the river, Kid Flash – Wally – had managed to get a fire started. Artemis was comfortably dry once more. She perched beside Wally on a fallen log and wound a section of her locks around his cut hand. "You're being awfully quiet as you put your magic hair around my hurt hand," Wally said in a joking tone. He was clearly trying to lighten the mood after the stressful day the two had shared.

Artemis glanced up at her companion. She felt very apprehensive about what she was about to do. "I don't want you to think of me differently," she admitted. "I'm not exactly a normal girl, Wally." It wasn't as if Wally did not already know this, but Artemis wanted to impress upon him just how unique her situation truly was.

She sang the words to the special song Jade had taught her so many years ago. She watched as her hair began to emit that silvery light as the magic flowed through it. The blonde girl saw Robin gesture to his wing with the other one to indicate to Wally that his injury was being healed.

The redhead peeled away her hair. This revealed that his hand was as good as new. There was no longer any sign that he had ever been hurt. His green eyes were wide as they examined his palm in the firelight. "Please don't overreact," Artemis pleaded. Right now, Wally was all she had in the world. She could not afford to have him look at her differently.

He was still peering at his hand, clearly fascinated. "That's very interesting," he said quietly. "How long has your hair been magical?"

"All my life," Artemis answered. She wove her hands through her hair to find the section of hair that had been cut so long ago. She showed it to Wally and added, "Jade told me that people tried to cut it when I was a baby and that my parents were killed trying to protect me."

Artemis watched comprehension dawn on her companion's face. "So that's why you never left." The blonde girl nodded. "And you're still going to go back?" he questioned.

"She's my sister," Artemis said simply. She let out a sigh. Then she looked at Wally with a sideways glance. A smirk formed on her lips. "So your name's really Wally?"

He looked very uncomfortable. Artemis wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut. Finally, Wally replied. "I'll spare you the sad story of poor orphan Wallace West," he muttered. "When I was a child at the orphanage, there was a book I read to the other children every night. It was called _The Tales of the Flash_. The Flash was the fastest man in the world. He could go anywhere he wanted, do anything he wanted. I always wanted to be just like him, so I started calling myself Kid Flash. It sounded like what he might call his sidekick if he had one. For a poor kid with nothing…it just sounded like he had the right idea."

Artemis knew without a doubt that this was the most honest thing he had ever said to her. This was enforced by the fact that he quickly added, "Don't tell anyone about this, please. It would ruin my reputation."

"I wouldn't want that," she replied with a smile.

There was a pause. Then Wally's emerald gaze flickered towards the fire. It was starting to go out. "I'll get more wood," he said as he got to his feet.

The blonde girl called after him. "I think I like Wallace West a lot more than Kid Flash." She didn't really know why she had decided to say it then, only that it was true.

"You're the first," Wally replied, a little sadly.

She watched Wally retreat into the woods. Then Artemis heard a branch cracking and whipped around to see the figure of her sister. "Jade?" Artemis whispered, stunned.

"I thought he'd never leave." Jade threw back the hood of her cloak and sauntered closer to where Artemis sat. "Hello, Artemis dear."

The blonde girl got to her feet. "How did you find me?"

Jade drew Artemis into a hug. "I listened for the sound of betrayal and followed that. It was easy, really," Jade replied in a low, dangerous voice. Then the older girl seized Artemis by the wrist. "We're going home now, Artemis."

Artemis yanked her arm from her sister's grasp. Jade's dark eyes narrowed. "You don't understand," Artemis insisted. "I've been on an adventure. I've learned a lot about myself. And I think I met someone..."

"A wanted thief," Jade simpered."You have such good taste. You make me proud, sister." The older girl looked at her for a long moment. "Why would he love you? You're immature and inexperienced. He doesn't want you; he wants this."

Artemis' gray eyes went wide as Jade pulled out the satchel containing the crown. "Give him this and see how long he sticks around," Jade said.

"I will," Artemis found herself replying defiantly.

"I won't say I told you so." Jade then disappeared into the shadows with a swish of her long black cloak.

Artemis stood completely still for a moment, breathing hard. Jade had to be wrong about Wally. She didn't even know the redhead; how could she say that he would run away with the crown? Jade had no idea what Wally was really like.

The tiara was still clutched in her hands when she heard footsteps approaching. Wally's friendly voice called out, "I won't get super strength in my hand now, will I?" When he noticed that she did not turn around when he had spoken, he pressed on, "Are you alright?"

Artemis quickly stuffed the tiara into the bag again and stashed it in the hollow log before spinning to face him. "I was lost in thought," the girl explained quickly.

He nodded in acceptance. He started talking about how beneficial it would be to him if his hand _did_ turn out to get super strong. Artemis bobbed her head, though she had no clue as to exactly what he was saying. She was too worried that Jade might just be right.

0o0o0o0

Cheshire and Speedy watched the scene unfold from just outside of the clearing. Cheshire noticed that Speedy made a move towards the crown as Artemis hid it inside the log. The dark haired woman promptly grabbed him to keep him from moving any further.

"If you act now, all will be ruined," she hissed at the redhead. "You must be patient. You will be rewarded in the end."

Actually, the only person who was to be rewarded was her, but Speedy did not need to know that yet. A smug look passed over her features. Oh, yes. She would get everything she wanted.

0o0o0o0

Early the next morning, Wally woke to something wet dripping onto his face. He opened his green eyes to see Kaldur standing over him, looking as angry as a horse could possibly look. "I hope you want to apologize-" Wally began. He was cut off, however, by Kaldur taking a chomp on his boot. The horse then started to drag him through the clearing.

His screams woke Artemis from her slumber. The blonde girl untangled herself from her hair and scrambled to her feet. She ran after Wally and Kaldur, managing to catch Wally by the wrists. Artemis pulled with all of her might, but Kaldur was not willing to give up. Finally, the blonde teenager gave one good tug and Wally came free, though Kaldur came away with Wally's brown boot. The horse looked thoroughly disgruntled.

Then he charged at them again. Wally scrambled back towards the trunk of a large elm, but Artemis stood her ground. Kaldur tried to get past the girl, but she flung her arms out to the sides to block him. "Easy, boy," she murmured, "easy." Finally, the horse calmed down and stood perfectly still in front of her. "That's a good boy," Artemis crooned.

She glanced back at him with a smirk on her face as if to say, "What was so hard about that?" The redhead frowned at the smug look on her face. She turned back to Kaldur. "Drop the boot," Artemis commanded. Kaldur released it at once, still looking annoyed.

Encouraged by this, Artemis went on. "Today is an extremely important day for me. I need you to not bring him to the guards. Just for today. Then you can do whatever you want with him." Wally made a noise of protest. He also noted that the horse appeared to be dubious about this proposal as well. Still, Wally stuck his hand out to show that he was willing to call a truce.

Kaldur turned away, making disgruntled whinnying sounds as he did so. "It's also my birthday," Artemis added as she patted Kaldur's neck. Finally, the horse turned back to Wally. He raised his front leg and knocked his hoof gently against Wally's hand. Artemis smiled and brushed past the spot where man and horse stood. As soon as her back was turned, Kaldur hit the redhead in the stomach with the same hoof. Wally grunted and doubled over in pain.

The little group was not too far from the capitol city of Starr Kingdom. After about an hour's brisk walk, the band of travelers reached the drawbridge that would lead them right into the hub of the city. Atop a large hill, the king and queen's castle looked down at the city. For Wally, it was hard to believe that he'd been here just yesterday.

Artemis walked on ahead with Robin, staring up at the palace with a look of fascination on her face. Wally, meanwhile, spotted yet another Wanted posted and tore it down. This was met by a disapproving look from Kaldur. Wally balled up the paper and shoved it into the horse's mouth. Kaldur spat it back at Wally's face. He let out a horse-like laughing sound.

Kid Flash was definitely tired of the way this horse treated him. He shoved against Kaldur, only for Kaldur to shove back. The two of them kept this up all the way across the drawbridge. They stopped only when Robin flew over to them and looked at them with narrowed bird eyes. Wally had to marvel at the fact that this little bird could look so menacing.

By this time, Artemis had entered the city. Kid Flash could see the look of enchantment on the blonde girl's face. He smiled fondly; it was not often that he'd ever seen anyone look around in such a wonderstruck way. Most city dwellers took the sights Starr Kingdom had to offer for granted. He had to admit that Artemis's enthrallment with the metropolis was both refreshing and endearing.

0o0o0o0

Artemis looked around at the city with wide gray eyes. The crescent moon symbol of the kingdom was splashed on triangular purple flags that hung everywhere: from windows, in shop doorways, stretched across the narrow streets. People were everywhere, calling out to one another in happy tones, toting around goods to be sold, and leading livestock through the crowd. Artemis, of course, had never seen anything like this in all her life.

However, it also meant that she had no idea how to act. Some of the townsfolk muttered rude comments to her as they passed impatiently. No matter where she walked, her hair was in the way and constantly got stepped on. Wally kindly helped her bundle it up so that it would be easier to carry.

She saw Wally look around until he spotted four little girls with bright red hair sitting on the edge of a fountain. They all had fancy hairstyles. The thief grinned at Artemis and together they crossed the square to where the girls sat. Wally got the girls' attention and showed them Artemis's long mane of golden locks. The girls all shrieked in delight. In what seemed like no time at all, Artemis' hair had been styled into an elaborate braid that was still very long, but at least no longer dragged on the ground. The girls had also decorated her hair with many fragrant flower blossoms. "Thank you," Artemis said to the girls in the most sincere voice she could muster.

They spent the day looking around the city. Artemis wanted to see as much as possible. While she was drinking in every detail that she could, she noticed a large piece of artwork on the side of one of the buildings. It was a mosaic of the people Artemis guessed were King Oliver and Queen Dinah. There was a baby girl in the queen's arms with blonde hair and gray eyes.

A little family sat next to the portrait. A young girl was placing a flower at the foot of the artwork. "It's for the princess," the girl explained to her mother, who smiled.

Wally bought her a purple souvenir flag with the kingdom's crescent moon crest. She beamed at him as he handed it to her.

Some musicians started to play a jaunty tune with their instruments. It was so lively and joyous that Artemis felt she couldn't waste it. She was here to celebrate, after all. It was her eighteenth birthday and she was going to see the lanterns tonight at long last! If that wasn't worth celebrating, Artemis didn't know what was.

So she started to dance. As she moved around the square, she grabbed townspeople and pulled them in as well. Everyone joined in, clapping and dancing right along.

Artemis's gaze locked on Wally, who was lurking off to the side near Kaldur. She beckoned for him to join her. He shook his head. Kaldur, however, nudged Wally forcefully into the dance and he was snatched up by another lady. Every time they got close to one another, they were always grabbed by a stranger. When Artemis and Wally finally ended up together as dance partners, the song ended.

There was a cry of, "To the boats!"

He grinned at her, releasing her hands. "Let's go see what you've been waiting for all this time."

Artemis followed Wally to the docks, where they were assigned to a boat only big enough for the two of them. Kaldur stayed behind on the dock while Robin perched behind Wally. Wally grinned at her again before picking up a sack he had dropped on the boat's floor. "Here, Kaldur!" he yelled at as he tossed it towards the horse. The contents of the bag spilled out to reveal shiny red apples. "I bought them," Wally assured the horse. Kaldur was apparently pleased by this. He bent his head to gobble one up. "Most of them."

The redhead chuckled at the sound of Kaldur's distressed noise. He took the oars in his hands and started to row them to the center of the lake. "Where are we going?" Artemis asked.

He smiled at her in a way that Artemis could only describe as sweet. "I want you to have a good view." Wally finally got the boat where he wanted it. He was right; from this position they'd be able to see everything. He looked at her expectantly, clearly waiting for some acknowledgement of the fact that they had perfect seats. "Is everything alright, Artemis?" he asked eventually.

"I've been looking out a window all my life. What if it's not what I dreamed it would be?"

"It will be," Wally replied firmly.

Artemis continued to gaze up at the now darkened sky. "What if it is?"

The redhead smiled again. "That's the best part. You get to find a new dream."

0o0o0o0

Up in the castle, King Oliver and Queen Dinah were preparing for the ceremony. King Oliver had dressed in his best emerald green robes. An elaborate silver necklace with the kingdom's crest on it hung from his neck.

It was this necklace that Queen Dinah was currently adjusting. She repositioned it to hang evenly. She looked up at him, trying to smile, when she realized that the king was crying.

"Oliver, darling," Dinah said gently. She reached up to touch his cheek. "You mustn't do this. I know it's difficult. But Artemis will be back someday. I know it in my heart. You must know it in yours. We must keep the faith." She gently wiped away his tears.

"You're right, of course," King Oliver said eventually. "Absolutely right." He gave her a brave if watery smile and added, "You look lovely, darling."

And she did. The queen wore a sweeping dress of midnight blue velvet. A rope of pearls was at her neck and her blonde hair hung loose to her shoulders. A delicate crown rested on top of her head.

Together, the king and queen made their way onto the balcony. The lantern was already lit and waiting for them. With slightly shaking hands, Oliver untied the lantern from its stand. It floated away and as it did, thousands of villagers lit their own lanterns and released them into the sky, where they shone down unknowingly on the missing princess.

0o0o0o0

In the boat, Artemis scrambled to her feet the second she saw the first lantern shining over the lake. As more lanterns joined the first, the scene only grew more beautiful. The whole world seemed to be lit up by the soft, glowing lights. As she turned back to Wally to make sure he was seeing this, Artemis saw that he was holding lanterns for the two of them. She smiled.

So Artemis knew what she had to do. Wally had mostly completed his end of the bargain and Artemis had no doubts that he would escort her home safely. She took out the satchel and handed it to him. "I'm sorry I didn't give it to you before. I think I was scared. But I'm not anymore."

The redhead nodded. Artemis put the bag to the side and they both let the lanterns go into the sky where they bobbed along with the thousands of others. Wally cupped her face in one hand. He leaned in close...

Artemis was sure that her heart was pounding. Of course she had never been kissed before, but she knew that was what was coming,

However, it never did. Wally drew away from her as he caught sight of something over her shoulder. She could not see it, but he could.

Roy was waiting for him on the shores of the lake, his face illuminated by an eerie green glow.


	5. Spitfire Tangled Part Five

**Once Upon a Time**

**Spitfire – "Tangled"**

**Part Five**

Wally jerked away from Artemis when he caught sight of Roy. The look on the older redhead's face was nothing short of evil. Wally could feel Artemis's piercing gray gaze on him, but he couldn't concentrate on her. He had to think of a way to get the crown to Roy without allowing Artemis to be harmed.

"Is something wrong?" his blonde companion asked. She started to turn to see what he was looking at, but Roy had slunk back into the shadows.

"Nothing is wrong," Wally replied hurriedly. Artemis looked at him skeptically but didn't say anything else. The redhead's gaze fell on the satchel that was still sitting at Artemis's side. He just had to give the stupid crown to Roy and all of this would be over. Wally didn't even want the trinket anymore. "There's something I have to do."

He quickly rowed the small boat to the other side of the lake. Wally climbed out onto the shore and dragged the boat onto the thin strip of beach. "I have to take care of something very quickly," Wally announced. "It will only take a minute."

Artemis nodded. "Alright," she replied. Wally turned and walked in the direction Roy had gone in. He heard the rustle of Robin's small wings as the bird made its way to Artemis's shoulder. "He'll be right back, Robin," Artemis murmured to her feathered companion. It sounded to Wally that she was trying to assure herself of this.

Wally kept walking along the shore until he finally found Roy. The older redhead was perched on a large boulder. He was sharpening a knife and looked very menacing. "There you are!" Wally exclaimed in a happy tone. He hoped that Roy would buy his act. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Roy regarded him with a flat expression and continued sharpening his knife. "Well, I've got that tiara you wanted," the younger thief said. He took off the satchel and tossed it to Roy. "It's all yours," Wally promised.

He turned to go, but Roy had somehow appeared in his path and now was blocking Wally's path. Wally blinked in surprise; he hadn't even seen his former comrade move.

"You were holding out on me again, Kid Flash," Roy accused in a low, dangerous voice.

Wally had no idea what Roy was referring to. "What?"

"I heard you came across something much more valuable than a crown. I want _her_ instead."

Kid Flash's eyes went wide with shock. Then Roy advanced towards him, raising a fist, and everything went black.

0o0o0o0

Artemis was still waiting for Wally to come back. By now, she had climbed out of the boat, though she did not dare stray too far. Robin was still perched on her shoulder. He emitted the occasional worried chirping sound.

The blonde girl's sharp gray eyes were fixed on the spot Wally had walked off towards. She couldn't wait until he got back from whatever his errand was. The whole experience was making her extremely uneasy. She wanted to leave.

Finally, the blonde girl spotted a figure coming through the mist. Artemis breathed a sigh of relief. "I was wondering if you were going to come back," she called out.

But as the figure drew closer to her, Artemis could see that it was not Wally at all. It was the same man she had seen back in the ravine, the one who Wally had said didn't like him. Artemis shrank back, her heart pounding rapidly.

"He _did_ leave," the stranger said in a cruel voice.

"He wouldn't," Artemis replied defiantly. Wally wouldn't _really_ have left her to fend for herself... would he? They had been through so much...

A voice that sounded suspiciously like Jade's rang in Artemis's mind. _There is no honor among thieves._

The strange man shrugged. He waved a hand towards the lake. "See for yourself," he said. Sure enough, Artemis could just make out the shape of a small sailboat cutting across the lake. There was a figure at the steering wheel that definitely looked to be about Wally's size. "Wally, _no_," Artemis whispered. "No."

She screamed his name across the lake's waters, but there was no response from him. He really was leaving her and taking the crown. Jade had been right all along.

"It was a fair trade, really," the strange man told her. He began to circle her and Artemis had the distinct feeling that she was prey. "A priceless crown for the girl with the magic hair. How much do you think someone would pay to stay young forever?" he asked. "Twenty-five thousand pieces of gold? Fifty? One hundred?"

He advanced towards Artemis. She backed away, terrified, but there was no way she could outrun him. "Please don't," she begged helplessly. The man just sneered. Artemis knew that it would probably be futile but she had no other options left to her. She started to run.

The blonde girl moved as fast as her legs would carry her. She picked a path along the grass and kept moving until her hair got tangled around a fallen log. As she fought to get it loose, Artemis could hear the sounds of a scuffle back where she had left the boat.

"Artemis!"

The voice that had called out her name was none other than her sister's. "Jade?" Artemis asked to herself, amazed. Had her sister been with her all of this time, trying to make sure that she was alright?

Artemis finally freed her hair. She made her way back towards the boat. When she arrived at the beach, the stranger was laying on the ground. Her sister was standing over the man with a thick tree branch clenched in her hands.

"My dear baby sister," Jade said quietly when she saw that Artemis had come back. There was relief in the older girl's voice.

"Jade," Artemis said again. And despite the fights they had been having lately, the blonde girl ran into her sister's arms. Jade folded her into a tight hug.

When the older girl pulled away, she looked over Artemis very carefully. "Did he hurt you?" Jade asked. The blonde girl shook her head and opened her mouth to ask Jade how she had known she was in danger, but the older girl spoke again before Artemis could get any words out. "I was so worried about you, dear," Jade simpered. There was just a touch of something in her tone that made Artemis feel a little guilty.

On the ground, the man began to stir. "Let's go," Jade instructed. "Before he comes to."

She ushered Artemis towards the forest, but the blonde girl resisted for a moment. She watched the boat Wally was on slowly growing smaller and smaller as if got closer to the kingdom. Artemis could not believe he really could have left her like that. She felt tears prick at her eyes. She had trusted him...

Finally, Artemis turned back to her sister. Jade was waiting with the lantern. A sympathetic look was adorning her features. For the second time that night, Artemis flung herself into her sister's embrace. She let out a quiet sob into Jade's shoulder. "You were right, Jade," Artemis said sadly.

"I know, Artemis," Jade soothed. "I know."

The older girl kept one arm around Artemis's shoulders as they slowly made their way home.

0o0o0o0

In Roy's boat, Wally was just starting to come to after being hit on the head. That sure had been happening to him a lot lately, the redhead mused.

There was a smashing sound somewhere in front of him. He had sailed right into the side of the bridge that led into the city. This noise had attracted the attention of a pair of palace guards. The two men were hurrying down towards the place he was now stranded at.

This did not look good for Wally. He was bound to the ship completely. Roy had also made sure that the princess's tiara was clenched in his hand. There was no way he'd be able to get out of this.

And yet, he wasn't really concerned about what was going to happen to him. Wally had just realized that Artemis was along on the other side of the lake with _Roy_. The redhead was certain that Speedy would not hesitate to hurt Artemis. "What have I done?" he asked himself quietly.

The guards had been joined by their captain. He smiled at Wally in a very smug way as he untied the wanted criminal. "Let me explain," Wally pleaded. "It's not what it looks like."

The captain produced a pair of manacles and slapped them over Wally's wrists. Desperate, he screamed, "Artemis!" He hoped against all odds that she would hear him and know he hadn't left her alone willingly.

Artemis did not hear him.

Kaldur, however, did.

There was only one thought in the horse's mind as he took off through the streets of Starr Kingdom. He had to get to The Watchtower.

0o0o0o0

Wallace West spent a sleepless night in a prison cell. The next day, he paced the small confined space in an endless loop. He hoped Artemis was alright. If anything happened to her, it was all his fault.

The thief was staring blankly out the window when he heard footsteps in the corridor. Wally looked over her shoulder to see the captain of the guard flanked by a duo of soldiers. "Let's get this over with," the captain said grimly. He took a golden key from his belt and used it to unlock Wally's cell.

Kid Flash was confused. "Let's get what over with?" he asked. The captain just looked at him. "Oh," Wally said, touching one hand to the base of his throat.

He was going to die.

0o0o0o0

Miles away, Artemis and Jade had made it back to their tower. Jade had ushered Artemis up to her room immediately upon their return. The pair of sisters perched on Artemis's bed with Artemis's back to Jade. The older girl was busily plucking the flowers out of Artemis's elaborate hairdo. She hummed softly every time she placed a blossom in her basket.

"There you are," she said. "That was the last one. Now we can pretend that this mess never even happened."

Jade crossed Artemis's room to the door. She carried the basket of flowers over one arm. "Dinner will be ready soon," Jade announced. "We're having hazelnut soup."

Artemis barely heard her sister's words. Now that Jade was done with her hair, the blonde girl had buried her face in her hands. The sting of Wally's betrayal had not left the blonde girl yet. She did not want her sister's company at the moment. She wanted to be alone.

"I tried to tell you, Artemis," Jade reminded the younger girl. "I told you about the selfish people in the world. You didn't listen to me."

The dark haired girl turned on her heel and shut the door behind her as she left. When Artemis was alone again, Robin flew down to her from where he had been hiding on the dresser. He clicked his beak sympathetically.

Sighing, Artemis lay back on her bed. She took out the little souvenir flag with the crescent moon on it that Wally had bought her in the city. No matter what Jade might say, this adventure _had_ happened. Artemis knew she would never forget it.

The blonde girl looked up at her ceiling. It was decorated with her recurring theme of silver crescent moons just like the one on the flag. She was starting to put the pattern together.

Artemis looked at the flag and then at the ceiling again. The room seemed like it was starting to spin as she remembered in a short flash a little mobile with a tinkly song emitting from it and a pair of smiling blond adults looking down at her.

She knew instantly where she had seen those people before. They were King Oliver and Queen Dinah, the rulers of Starr Kingdom. And Artemis remembered suddenly how the tiara Wally had stolen looked on her.

"I'm the lost princess."

This realization made Artemis stumble backwards. She couldn't even breathe properly. All she knew was that she had to set things right.

0o0o0o0

Wally was being led down the prison's stone corridors with a guard on either side of him. His heart was heavy as he slowly moved towards his demise. The thief knew that he deserved his fate – he had certainly earned it – but he would have given anything to see Artemis one last time. Wally wanted to explain to her what had happened. He also would have liked to be able to tell her what he had come to feel for her.

They were nearly to the end of the corridor when Wally caught sight of Roy slumped in one of the other cells. He felt his blood begin to boil. If the older man had laid one finger on Artemis...

Before he really knew what he was doing, Wally quickly shoved the guard to his left with his shoulder. The soldier went flying. Kid Flash repeated this action with the soldier to his right as well. He jumped high enough in the air to be able to swing his arms around his legs to they'd at least be bound in front of him instead of behind him.

He marched to Roy's cell and seized the older man by the shirt. Wally yanked Roy closer to him, making him hit his face against the iron bars. "How did you know about Artemis?" Wally demanded of his former ally.

"The girl told me. The one with the dark hair."

"The girl," Wally repeated. This had to mean that Artemis's sister was the one behind everything.

The two soldiers had gotten to their feet. Each grabbed hold of Wally once more. He struggled as much as he could manage to while clenched in their iron grips. "You don't understand," Wally said desperately. "She's in trouble..."

0o0o0o0

Jade had heard the noise Artemis had made when she stumbled. "Artemis!" she called sharply. The blonde girl could hear her sister's footsteps coming up the stone steps towards her bedroom. "Are you alright?"

Artemis was breathing heavily. She still could not believe the shocking truth she had just uncovered. The blonde teenager made her way across the room and opened her bedroom door. She stepped onto the landing and looked down at the woman she had called sister for eighteen years.

"I'm the lost princess."

Artemis saw her sister's eyes go wide. Then Jade said smoothly, "Now, Artemis, why would you even say that? Do you know how ridiculous you sound?" The dark haired girl held out her arms in an attempt to embrace Artemis, but the princess pushed her away angrily.

"This was all you!" Artemis burst out. "You did this to me!"

"I was protecting you," Jade said in a voice that was so calm it was sinister.

Artemis shoved the older girl again. This time Jade hit the wall. Artemis brushed past the villainess. "I spent my entire life in this tower hiding. I was hiding from people who would use me for my hair and this whole time I should have been hiding from _you_!"

"Artemis!" Jade said sharply. The blonde girl froze in her tracks. "Where will you go?" Jade simpered. "Your little thief won't be there for you. I can promise you that."

It was then that Artemis realized what Jade must have done. Jade must have told the man who had attacked Artemis what her hair would be worth to the right bidder. That was why Wally had left and Jade had so conveniently been close enough to rescue her. Artemis would have bet that Wally had somehow been forced onto that boat. She knew he never would have left her.

"What did you do to him?" the blonde princess demanded in a low, dangerous voice.

"He will be hanged for his crimes," Jade said with a note of triumph. Artemis let out a gasp. Jade moved in for the kill. "Just listen to me. All of this is how things are supposed to be." Jade lifted a hand to pat the top of Artemis's head, but the teenager couldn't stand being talked down to any longer. She caught Jade by the wrist and shoved her away.

"You were wrong about the world. You were wrong about _me_." She pushed the older girl again, causing Jade to fall back against the ornate mirror. The glass shattered. "I'm never going to let you use me again," Artemis vowed coldly.

"You want me to be the bad guy? I can do that," Jade promised. "I can definitely do that."

0o0o0o0

In the prison, Wally was still doing his very best to get away from the guards. They were forcing him down the hallway roughly now. The redhead was starting to get worried that he wouldn't be able to escape. As he struggled against his captors, the thief's emerald gaze fell on a crude sketch of a bat that had been etched onto the stone wall. It looked just like the one the man who had helped he and Artemis escape The Watchtower had had on his chest.

Just then, a door ahead of them in the corridor slammed shut. Then the doors on the sides of the hallway and behind Wally and his trio of guards were slammed as well. "What is going on?" the captain demanded, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword automatically. He turned back to the door in front of them and pounded on it with his fist. "Open up!"

A face that Wally recognized appeared in the small window at the top of the door. "What's the password?" he asked in a sing song voice. He was clearly mocking the captain.

"What?" the captain spluttered.

"Nope." The man disappeared again.

The captain was angry now. "Open this door!"

The face appeared again. He was grinning. "That's not even close!"

While this argument was occurring, one door on either side of the corridor opened. The two guards next to Wally were each snatched away by more Watchtower patrons. The thugs shut the doors loudly enough so that the captain's attention would return to what was going on behind him. While he turned around, the first door opened again. The biggest of the thugs, the one who wore an S on his chest and wanted to fall in love, came through. He hit the captain with a frying pan.

Wally grinned. "Who knew that skillets so many uses?"

More guards broke through the door. Wally took off running after the big thug. He turned a corner and came across one of the other patrons. The blond man with the A on his belt winked at the redhead as he ran by. Then the guards caught up and the blond man distracted them with a miming act. Wally heard a cry from the bat man as he came racing towards the guards, who all yelled in fright.

Wally kept running until he reached a courtyard. Swarms of the kingdom's soldiers were coming down the stone steps towards him. Kid Flash was sure he was done for until the bat man plucked him into mid-air.

"Head down, arms in, knees apart," said the bat man. Wally repeated these instructions without really knowing why.

He was just opening his mouth why he was being told these things when the S man leapt down from above. Wally realized that he had been placed on some kind of catapult. He went soaring through the air and he screamed. But then he landed on something that whinnied softly. Wally looked down to see that he had landed on top of Kaldur.

"Kal," Wally breathed, amazed. "You did this? You brought them here?" Kaldur whinnied again, looking pleased with himself. "All this time we could have been friends. Thank you. This could be the-" Wally looked down at his mount again to see that Kaldur was regarding him with a flat expression. "You're right. We should go."

This was all the encouragement that Kaldur needed. He took off along the top of the prison, expertly avoiding all of the soldiers' attacks as he did so. Wally was quite amazed at the steed's skill.

Kaldur leapt off of the building and landed in the town square. It had to be some kind of miracle, Wally thought fervently. The horse kept galloping straight through the city and over the bridge. He ran and ran through the forest until they finally reached Artemis's tower.

Wally dismounted as fast as he could and ran to the base of the tower. "Artemis! Artemis, let down your hair!"

There was no response. Wally frantically attempted to climb up the stones but failed miserably. Then he heard the window creak open and Artemis's long golden mane came soaring out. Wally smiled, relieved, and used the hair to scale the tower.

He climbed in through the window. "I thought I'd never see you again," the redhead admitted. He couldn't wait to embrace the girl and tell her everything that had happened.

Then Wally's emerald green gaze fell on the object of his affections. She was bound and gagged and making frantic noises. He could only assume that she meant that she needed help. Wally was making his way towards her when there was a sudden sharp pain in his ribs. Everything went black once more.

0o0o0o0

Artemis felt tears sting at her eyes again. Jade calmly stepped over Wally's body. Blood was still dripping from her sai. "Do you see what you've done, Artemis?" Jade taunted. "But you mustn't worry, my dear. Our secret will die with him." Wally made a pitiful noise and grasped his midsection.

Jade advanced towards Artemis. She unlocked one end of the chain that bound Artemis and gave a sharp tug towards the secret tunnel. "As for us... we're going somewhere where no one will ever find you."

Artemis struggled even more desperately. She kicked at Jade and all the motion made Artemis's gag fall out of her mouth. "I will never stop trying, Jade," Artemis swore. "I will never stop trying to get away from you for as long as I live." She took a deep breath in order to force out the next part. "Let me heal him and I'll go with you without a fight."

Wally stirred slightly and attempted to drag himself closer to Artemis. "You can't do that," he groaned weakly. "You can't."

"I won't run," Artemis said over the sound of Wally's moans. "I won't try to escape. Please let me save him. Then it'll be the two of us forever. Just like you want. _Please_."

Jade's eyes were cold. Finally, she nodded. She took Artemis's chains off of the girl's wrists and bound Wally to the staircase with it. "Don't get any ideas about following us," Jade warned the redhead. Then she nodded once to give Artemis the signal that she could work her magic yet again.

The blonde girl was at the thief's side in an instant. "Oh, Wally," she whispered softly. She touched his face gently. "Everything will be alright," the princess assured him.

He coughed and clutched at his ribs again. Artemis could see the crimson stain spreading slowly but surely over his shirt. She could tell he didn't have much time left. "Don't do it, Artemis," Wally begged. "Don't do this for me."

"You have to trust me," the princess said. She was busily readying her hair to heal the injury when he suddenly reached up to touch her cheek.

"Wait," the redhead implored. And with the last of his strength, Wally leaned forward and cut off Artemis's hair with a shard of glass from the broken mirror.

All of the stolen youth flowed right out of Cheshire. "No!" she screamed. Artemis watched the woman she had thought of as her sister shrivel up right before her. As Jade wheeled around the tower room in despair, Artemis saw Robin grab a section of the severed hair in his beak. He fluttered near the floor, just high enough off of the ground for Jade to catch the heel of her boot on the hair. The villainess tumbled out of the window.

Artemis hurried to the window, but it seemed that Jade had aged so rapidly that nothing remained of her but dust and her long black cloak.

For a moment, the princess was sad. Though Jade was a manipulative liar and a kidnapper, she had raised Artemis. And then Wally let out another low groan from where he was slumped over on the floor and Artemis quickly forgot about Jade.

She went back to Wally's side, kneeling next to him. Tears pooled in her eyes. She knew that he loved her, loved her enough to give his life for hers. "Don't leave me, Wally," Artemis begged quietly as she pulled him into her lap.

The redhead coughed again. Desperate, Artemis took his hand and touched it to the top of her head. She frantically sang the lyrics of the special song, but it was futile. Her hair no longer possessed any magical qualities.

Wally looked up at her with glassy green eyes. He reached up to caress her face. "You were my new dream," he whispered.

"You were mine," the princess replied sincerely. It was the truth, and he deserved to know it. He seemed to have heard her because as he went still, there was a serene smile on his face.

The tears that had been threatening to fall finally spilled. Amid her sobs, Artemis felt a surge of hatred for Jade. The woman had taken _everything_.

One of Artemis's tears fell onto Wally's face. As she moved her hand to wipe it away, the most amazing thing happened. Wally's body was enveloped in a pale silvery mist. His wound went away, the bloodstains vanishing as if they'd never been there at all. He stirred feebly.

Then Wally opened his eyes. Artemis was relieved to see that they were their normal vibrant emerald once more. "Hey, beautiful."

Artemis laughed joyously, hardly daring to believe it. It seemed there had been one last drop of magic in her after all. She released Wally so that he could sit up and then threw herself into his embrace. He chuckled softly and squeezed her tightly.

And then she pulled back and looked into his eyes for a long moment. Then he kissed her. When they parted, Wally rested his forehead against hers. "I should have done that a long time ago."

0o0o0o0

King Oliver and Queen Dinah were enjoying a quiet afternoon together when the doors to their private rooms were thrown open. Both monarchs looked up, alarmed at the sudden intrusion. A young soldier stood in the doorway. All he did was nod.

They hurried after the young man, Dinah picking up her skirts so that she wouldn't trip over them. When they got to the door that separated them from their daughter, King Oliver passed and looked down at his wife. There was doubt in the king's eyes.

"We must have faith, Oliver," Queen Dinah said quietly. He nodded and then pulled open the door. The solider slipped away quietly.

The pair of monarchs stepped onto the balcony. Standing on the balcony was a young man with vivid red hair and a beautiful young woman with short blonde hair. The young lady smiled at the king and queen tentatively.

Queen Dinah hurried towards the girl. She wanted so badly to believe that this was her daughter. Dinah reached out to touch the girl's face. The girl's smile grew even wider and Dinah pulled her daughter in for a hug. "Oh, Artemis," sighed the queen. "My daughter. My beautiful, precious daughter."

Oliver hurried towards the queen and princess as well. He wrapped both women in a tight embrace. The royal family then sank down onto the balcony, still wrapped in a many limbed hug.

The queen looked up at the redheaded man who had brought Artemis home at last. He was watching the royal family with a fond expression on his features. Dinah extended her hand towards him. He took it and she pulled him down so that he could join the embrace.

0o0o0o0

"Well, you can guess how the story ends. The kingdom celebrated the return of the lost princess for nearly a week. I don't remember most of it.

"Everyone's dreams came true. The bat man became a famous pianist. The S man fell in love.

"Kaldur was responsible for making most of the crime in the kingdom disappear nearly overnight...along with most of the apples.

"Robin never changed.

"At last, Artemis was home. She was a princess worth waiting for. She was truly Oliver and Dinah's daughter and led her people with all the grace and wisdom that her parents did before her."

Wally cleared his throat and looked around at all of the children he was telling the story to. The little faces all looked up at him eagerly, waiting for the rest of the story. They all gasped with excitement as Princess Artemis herself came to join the story telling session. She took a seat next to Wally and slid her hand into his.

"I started going by Wally again. I stopped stealing and really turned my life around. The king and queen pardoned me of my crimes. But I guess the real question is if Artemis and I ever got married. And after years of asking and asking...I finally said yes."

"Wally," warned Artemis with a slight smile, "tell the truth."

He smiled back at her and amended his tale. "I'm only kidding. I asked _her_."

And the princess's grin grew again. "We're all living happily ever after."

"Yes, we are," Wally agreed. "Yes we are."


	6. Chalant Sleeping Beauty Part One

_A/N: And Story Number Two is Sleeping Beauty, Chalant style!_

_Zatanna is Princess Aurora, Dick is Prince Philip, Klarion is Maleficent, Megan, Dinah, and Artemis are the three fairies, Giovanni and Sindella are King Stefan and Queen Leah, and Bruce is King Hubert._

_Since in the show Zatanna lived in New York with her dad, the name of their kingdom is simply York. Gothame is Gotham._

**Once Upon a Time**

**Chalant – "Sleeping Beauty"**

**Part One**

_Once upon a time, there lived a king and his queen. The king's name was Giovanni and the queen's Sindella. More than anything, Giovanni and Sindella longed for a child. Finally, after many years, a beautiful daughter was born to the monarchs. They called her Zatanna, after the queen's beloved grandmother._

_Shortly after the princess's birth, King Giovanni and Queen Sindella declared a holiday for the kingdom. The holiday was meant to give all citizens, no matter their class, an opportunity to pay homage to their future queen._

_This story begins on that most joyful day._

The citizens of the kingdom of York made their way through the city streets towards King Giovanni's castle. Each man, woman, and child wore their very best clothing. Throughout the crowd of people, uniformed men rode on horses and played trumpets. Many of the countrymen made up songs about Princess Zatanna and how certain they were that she would one day make an excellent ruler. Everywhere one looked there were signs that this was a day for celebration.

King Giovanni and his queen sat in the throne room amid their subjects. The young princess lay asleep in her cradle next to her mother's throne. Queen Sindella could hardly bear to lift her cerulean gaze from her darling, precious daughter. Giovanni smiled at the sight and grasped the hand that was closest to him.

Among the many guests at Princess Zatanna's christening were a lifelong friend of King Giovanni's and his young son, King Bruce and Prince Richard of Gothame.

King Bruce and his son walked towards the seated monarchs. Giovanni got to his feet and approached the other king. He and Bruce grasped each other's hands in a firm handshake.

For many years, King Giovanni and King Bruce had planned for their children to marry and unite the two kingdoms forever. Today they would announce to everyone present that Prince Richard, Bruce's son and heir, would be betrothed to the young princess.

Giovanni and Bruce released their hold on one another. Bruce stepped aside so that Prince Richard could present himself to the king of York.

Prince Richard was a handsome child of about four years old. Much like his father, the future king had inky black hair and bright blue eyes. Though he was on his very best behavior, there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He carried in his hands an ornate golden box which contained a gift for his future wife.

Queen Sindella got to her feet and crossed to the boy. She led him over to the cradle where Princess Zatanna lay asleep. Prince Richard looked down at the infant rather disdainfully. The prince was no fan of babies.

Up in one of the balconies above the thrones, the trumpets blasted. All eyes in the throne room looked up to see a beam of golden light appear in the room. Three figured materialized from the light.

"Their most honored excellencies, the good fairies! Mistress Megan, Mistress Dinah, and Mistress Artemis!"

Mistress Megan had vivid red hair and milky skin. Her face was kind. She wore a pink dress with a matching cape and pointed hat. She was the middle fairy.

Mistress Dinah was dressed very similarly to Megan, except her color of choice was black. She had long blonde hair and was the oldest of the trio.

Mistress Artemis had blonde hair like Dinah's but had a more olive complexion. Her dress, cape, and hat were all emerald green. She was the youngest of the fairies.

The trio of fairies made their way towards King Giovanni and Queen Sindella. "We are honored to have you," the king intoned. Beside him, Queen Sindella nodded in agreement.

The new arrivals to the party all smiled at the monarchs before hurrying over to the cradle where Princess Zatanna slept. "The little darling," cooed Megan, who was easily the most maternal of the three.

"Your Majesties," Dinah began, "each of us would like to bestow a gift onto the princess."

A gift from a fairy was not something to be turned down. The king nodded his permission. Megan drew her wand first and drew a large circle in the air with its tip. "I shall bestow the gift of beauty on the little princess," the pink fairy declared. A soft pink shower of sparks fell over the infant princess.

Dinah took her turn next. "Princess Zatanna, I give you the gift of song," she murmured. She mimicked Megan's actions and a small stream of black sparks fell over the sleeping child.

Artemis stepped forward after Dinah moved away. She too raised her wand to give a gift, but was interrupted before she could speak.

The interruption came in the form of a cold wind blowing the doors to the throne room wide open. There was a flash of blue lightning. Several ladies screamed. King Bruce gathered up Prince Richard and held onto the boy tightly. Giovanni stepped in front of his wife protectively.

There was a cackle as the hall lit up with a brilliant blue flame. The flames dispersed and left a terrifying figure in their wake.

It was an imp named Klarion who called himself the Lord of Chaos. He had pale blue skin, jet black hair with a set of horns atop his head, and a thin frame. A brown cat with glowing red eyes was draped around his shoulders.

"Klarion," growled Artemis, "what are you doing here?"

He spoke in an unpleasant, nasally voice. "Well," he sneered, "what do we have here? Nobility...gentry...royalty..." The imp narrowed his eyes even further at the trio of fairies. "And even the rabble."

At this comment, Artemis clenched her fists. She attempted to fly towards the Lord of Chaos, but Dinah took hold of her cape and held her back from attacking.

Klarion stroked his familiar's fur. "I was very upset that I did not receive in invitation to this excellent party you're throwing, King Giovanni." He sneered the king's title with utmost disdain.

"_You_ are not welcome here," Artemis spat.

"Not welcome?" Klarion repeated with mock surprise. "Then I suppose I should be on my way."

Queen Sindella cast a sidelong glance at the infant princess, who was still asleep in her cradle. "And you're not offended, my Lord?" she asked with trepidation.

"I should think not, Your Majesty," Klarion replied. "To show you that I bear you no ill will, I too shall give the child a gift." He turned his dark gaze to where Princess Zatanna lay in her bassinet.

The three fairies dove in front of the bassinet in an attempt to protect the young royal, but it was no good. "The princess shall indeed become graceful and beautiful. She will be loved by all who know her," Klarion stated, "but on her sixteenth birthday she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel...and die!"

There was an anguished cry from Queen Sindella. The distressed monarch shoved the fairies aside and plucked her daughter from the cradle. She held Zatanna close to her heart, as if that alone could shield the baby from the curse.

"Seize him!" roared King Giovanni.

The knights scrambled forward to do as they had been ordered, but they were no match for the Lord of Chaos. With another sinister laugh and a snap of his fingers, Klarion disappeared into the ether.

Silent tears streamed down Sindella's face. King Giovanni patted her hand gently. A grim expression had settled over the ruler's features.

"Your Majesties," offered Megan in a timid tone, "there may still be hope. Artemis still has a gift to give."

Giovanni's face brightened. "You can undo this wicked curse then, Artemis?"

The green fairy's gray eyes were downcast. "I cannot, King Giovanni," she admitted. "Klarion has powers far beyond anything we fairies are capable of. But I can alter the curse's effects." Queen Sindella held out the child so that Artemis could work her magic. The youngest fairy hesitated.

"Do your best, dear," Dinah encouraged.

Artemis took a deep breath. "Little princess," the fairy murmured, "if because of this demon's trick a spindle should your finger prick, a ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift I give to thee. Not in death but merely in sleep the fateful prophecy shall keep. And from the slumber you will wake when true love's kiss the spell shall break." With these words, a shower of green sparks fell over the princess.

The other fairies smiled at Artemis. They were proud of what she had been able to do. Both monarchs thanked Artemis profusely but neither appeared to be truly comforted by the new prophecy. "Bring me every spinning wheel in the kingdom," Giovanni ordered his men. "We will burn them all. No harm must be allowed to come to my child."

The knights saluted the monarch and marched swiftly from the room. Queen Sindella still stood with the princess in her arms, her face pale and wet with tears. The gentle queen stroked the ebony colored fuzz that covered Zatanna's tiny head and murmured to the princess that she needn't worry.

As the hours passed, many of Giovanni's soldiers came back with spinning wheels. The king personally saw to it that each one was reduced to mere ashes. Still, the good king had a horrible feeling that all of these precautions were simply not enough. Klarion was cunning and malevolent. If he wanted something badly enough, he would get it. And now he wanted the princess's life.

Megan, Dinah, and Artemis watched from one of the balconies as chaos exploded around them. "We must find a way to protect the princess," Megan said to the others. The pink fairy was especially fond of children and Klarion's curse was simply outrageous to her.

"I did my best," Artemis piped up with a scowl on her face. "What else can we do? You know we don't have a chance of defeating Klarion."

Dinah, as the oldest and most experienced of the trio, wore a calm expression. She waved her wand and a small white teapot and three teacups appeared. "Perhaps we could reason with him," the black fairy suggested. "After all, cursing a little girl over a party invitation is completely unreasonable. We can find a way to smooth things over and get him to lift the curse."

"You want us to reason with Klarion, the _Lord of Chaos_?" Artemis asked incredulously. "That will never work. There's a reason he calls himself that, you know." The green fairy crossed her arms over her chest.

Megan looked at the older fairy sadly. "I think Artemis is right," she murmured. "We will have to protect Princess Zatanna some other way."

"I wish we could just turn him into a toad," Artemis muttered. "That would solve everything."

Dinah frowned at the younger blonde. "Our magic doesn't work that way. You know we can only use it to bring happiness and good fortune."

The youngest fairy didn't look convinced. "It would make _me_ happy," she replied.

The black fairy opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Megan letting out a soft gasp. "I know what we will do," she announced. "Follow me."

With a wave of her wand, the pink fairy turned herself miniature. The other members of the trio followed suit and followed Megan into the small ornamental box that was resting on a nearby table. "We'll hide the princess away from Klarion," she told the others excitedly. "We could turn her into something that doesn't have fingers so that she couldn't prick herself," the redhead continued. "We could turn her into something like a flower."

Artemis made a scoffing sound. "A _flower_? Klarion would just send a frost."

Megan's face fell. "That is true," she admitted. "And I'd bet Klarion is expecting us to transform the princess in some way."

"We should do something he won't expect," Artemis put in. "But thinking of something he won't expect is next to impossible. He knows _everything_."

Dinah's face was thoughtful. "Klarion doesn't know everything, Artemis. He doesn't know anything about kindness or love," the black fairy said.

A grin slowly spread across the pink fairy's features. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "It's the only thing Klarion _won't_ expect."

The blond members of the trio exchanged a confused look with each other. Then they turned their gazes back to Megan and waited for her to explain.

Megan had taken to pacing the confines of the box they were hiding in. "Giovanni and Sindella won't be happy...but it's the only way...we'll need to be very careful...there's an old cottage in the forest..."

"What won't the king and queen be happy about, Megan?" Dinah asked in a careful voice.

"They won't be happy about the three peasant women who are going to take the princess and raise her away from the kingdom until the danger of the curse has passed," Megan stated.

"That's nice of them. Who are they?" inquired the green fairy.

The pink fairy waved her wand. Dinah and Artemis both looked down at themselves to see that they were now dressed in peasant garb. Megan's magic had also taken away their wings. Dinah let out a small gasp but Artemis focused her stormy gray gaze on her redheaded counterpart.

"You can't be serious. You want us to live like mortals for _sixteen years_?"

"It's the only way." Megan's voice was firm. Still in disbelief, Artemis looked over at the black fairy. It was of no use, however; Artemis could tell by Dinah's face that she was in agreement with Megan.

"I suppose Klarion will never suspect us of doing _that_," Artemis grumbled. "Alright. I'll help."

The pink fairy beamed and then opened the lid of the box. The trio flew out and then turned back into their full sized selves. Together, the three fairies made their way to where the king and queen sat. Queen Sindella was still clutching the princess to her chest.

"We have a solution," Megan said. "We believe it's the only way to keep Klarion from harming Zatanna. We will take her away from the kingdom until the danger has passed."

The queen gasped and clutched her daughter even tighter. But Giovanni was quiet for a long time before finally nodding. "I am sorry, my darling," he murmured to the queen. "But the fairies are right. It will not be forever."

The fairies turned away so that the monarchs could say a good-bye to their daughter. Then Sindella thrust the baby into Megan's arms very quickly, as if that were the only way she could stand to do it.

Dinah cast a quick spell over them so they would be disguised during their journey. And then they disappeared into the night.


	7. Chalant Sleeping Beauty Part Two

**Once Upon a Time**

**Chalant – "Sleeping Beauty"**

**Part Two**

King Giovanni and Queen Sindella spent many sad, lonely years waiting for their only child to return home to them. As Princess Zatanna's sixteenth birthday drew closer, the kingdom's spirits began to grow. There was an air of excitement in the villages and animated talks about how all would be well again in York once the princess came home.

The people of York knew that their beloved princess was still safe from Klarion's wicked curse. His realm, the Forbidden Mountain, was just visible from the kingdom. As long as thick black clouds swirled around the fortress and thunder rumbled in the distance, they knew that the Lord of Chaos's evil plan had not come to pass.

Klarion was currently perched on his throne. His minions, small gray goblin-like creatures of very low intelligence, surrounded him. "It's preposterous!" the Lord of Chaos roared. "It has been sixteen years and there hasn't been one trace of her!" There was a flash of lightning as anger surged through him. "She couldn't just have vanished! Are you sure you looked everywhere? In all the villages? By the seashore? In the forest?"

The minions nodded. "Everywhere," grunted the leader of the creatures. He had a pig snout and carried a large shiny ax as a weapon. "We all looked." The minions made eager noises of agreement. It was obvious to Klarion that they were hoping to be spared from his wrath. "We looked in every cradle." The minion leader made a rocking motion with his arms.

"Cradle?" echoed Klarion in his high pitched voice. He got to his feet and began to laugh hysterically. His foot soldiers followed suit, obviously thinking that they had pleased him. Klarion turned his dark gaze to Teekl, who perched on the throne's armrest. "Did you hear that, my pet? All this time they've been looking for an infant!"

The lackeys continued to laugh. Klarion snapped his fingers and a bolt of blue lightning crackled. "Fools!" bellowed Klarion. "Halfwits! Simpletons!" he started aiming his magical energy at the foot soldiers, who all dove for cover. Even Klarion's familiar, Teekl, darted off to watch in safety.

The Lord of Chaos sunk back onto his throne. "It's hopeless," he sighed. "These minions of mine are disgraces to the forces of evil." Teekl poked his head out from behind the chair and slowly made his way back to the imp. "It's up to you now, Teekl," Klarion murmured to the cat. "You will be my last hope. Find the girl. She'll be a maid of sixteen with ebony hair, a fair complexion, and rose red lips. Search far and wide. Leave now. Do not fail me."

Teekl made a purring noise and slunk from the room. He would find the princess. It would be child's play.

0o0o0o0

Far away from Klarion's fortress lived a now-grown Princess Zatanna and the three fairies. The fairies had never told the princess about her true identity for her own protection. They called her by the simple name Zee and referred to themselves as her aunts. Zee was told that they had found her as a baby and that they had taken care of her ever since.

In the cottage's tiny kitchen, the three fairies sat ringed around the table. It would be their last day with the princess before they had to send her back to the king and queen. So to say a proper good-bye, Megan, Dinah, and Artemis were planning a small party with a few extra special surprises.

Megan had placed a thick book on the table. "This is the one I picked," she told the two blondes at her sides. "With just a few changes I think we'll be able to make her look just like the princess she is."

The black fairy bobbed her head in agreement. "Zee will look lovely in that," she murmured.

"We'll make the dress purple," Artemis stated. "It's her favorite color."

"Oh no, dear," Megan replied airily. "We'll make it in yellow. I have the perfect shade for her, nice and cheerful."

Artemis scowled and crossed her arms. It seemed to her that Megan always got her way when it came to Zee. "There is still a lot to do," the green fairy pointed out. "How will we get her out of the house?"

At that moment, the raven haired maiden began to make her way down the small set of stairs. Zee was just as lovely as Megan's magic spell had once promised she would be. She had shiny ebony locks that fell just past her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright shade of blue and she had rose red lips that curved upwards into a kind smile. She wore a plain white blouse with a purple bodice and a black skirt. She carried a broom in one hand and a rag in the other, having just completed her morning chores.

Upon noticing her "aunts" huddled together around the table and hearing a snatch of whispered conversation, a smile crossed Zee's face. "And just what are the three of you doing?" she asked.

The three older women immediately sprang up. Megan hastily put the book with the design for the gown behind her back. "We aren't doing anything, are we girls?" the pink clad redhead said, whipping her head around to look at the other women.

Dinah shook her head. Artemis, thinking quickly, seized a basket filled with some pink blossoms. The green fairy emptied the container and pressed it into Zee's hands before taking the broom and dust rag away from the raven haired youth. "We'd like you to go pick some berries," she said. Her fellow fairies made noises of agreement.

"I picked berries yesterday," Zee protested. There was a slight note of confusion in her voice.

"We need more," Artemis said firmly. She set aside the cleaning materials and guided the princess to the cottage's door. The green fairy took the violet shawl that belonged to Zee down from where it hung on a hook by the door. She draped it over the girl's shoulders.

The fairies closed the bottom half of the cottage's Dutch door. "Don't hurry back." Megan called after Zee as the dark haired girl retreated deeper into the forest.

"And don't speak to strangers!" added the black fairy.

Artemis continued to watch Zee as she made her way into the woods. She watched until the teenage girl was no longer visible. Then she turned to her two elders. "Do you think she suspects?"

The black clad fairy looked thoughtful, but Megan shook her head firmly. "Of course she doesn't suspect, Artemis," Megan said soothingly, as if she were trying to comfort a small child. "Why would she?"

She ushered the two blondes into the cottage and shut the top half of the Dutch door as well. Megan then immediately opened an ornate trunk that stood against one wall. She took out a length of canary yellow fabric. "Won't Zee be excited?" Megan gushed to her fellow fairies. "She'll have a _real_ birthday party!"

"With a _real_ birthday cake," the oldest fairy added. Dinah pulled down a thick book of recipes from its shelf. She cracked it open to the dessert section and began searching for a cake recipe.

"And a dress fit for a princess," Megan continued in a sing song voice.

The youngest fairy watched her elders preparing to give the princess the celebration she deserved. And then something dawned on the green clad blonde. "I'll get the wands," she announced. The plans they had made for the princess's birthday were all very sweet, but there was no way the trio of fairies could pull them off without using magic.

Megan let out an astonished gasp. "Absolutely not," Dinah said firmly. "You know the rules, Artemis. When we took the princess away from her home, we agreed not to use magic until the danger of the curse had passed. Using magic will put Zatanna at risk. Klarion could find us."

Artemis scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "The sixteen years are almost over," the green fairy argued. "He hasn't found us yet. What makes you think he'll find us today?"

The redhead crossed the room and seized one of Artemis's arms. She then shoved both the fabric for the dress and a basket full of sewing supplies into her younger counterpart's arms. Megan circled around Artemis and gave her a gentle push towards the center of the room. "We won't be taking any chances," the pink fairy said.

"I've never made a fancy cake," Artemis said.

Dinah had gone back to preparing the supplies to make the cake. She carefully set a large stack of mixing bowls down on the table. "You won't have to," the oldest blonde woman said. "I'm going to do it."

The green fairy made a face. Dinah's attempts to cook without magic had never exactly been good. "She's always wanted to," Megan told Artemis softly. "This will be her last chance." Then the redhead beamed. "I'm making the dress."

This, too, was different than the patterns they had fallen into during their self-imposed exile. "You can't sew, Megan," the youngest fairy pointed out.

Megan brushed this aside. "It will be easy," the middle woman insisted. "You just follow the book's instructions." Megan brought out a step stool. "You'll be the dummy," she told Artemis. The green clad female stepped onto the stool obediently. Megan took away the supplies that Artemis had been holding on to.

The brilliant yellow velvet was tossed over Artemis's form with a little too much enthusiasm. "I think we should use magic," she said once more. "Her voice was slightly muffled.

There were snipping sounds as Megan took scissors to the velvet. Artemis raised her arms to see that Megan had cut a large hole in the middle of the cloth. "What's that for?" she demanded.

"It has to have a hole in the bottom," Megan replied as if it were obvious.

"It's for the feet to go through," Dinah added, turning to look at her fellow fairies. The distraction caused a good portion of extra flour to fall into the mixing bowl. The black fairy did not seem to notice this and went back to consulting the recipe. Artemis merely sighed quietly.

Satisfied with her progress so far, Megan gathered up the material again and threw it over the green fairy's figure. "It's _yellow_," the youngest female muttered disapprovingly.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Megan replied in a fond tone. "The shade will look just right on Zee. She'll look just like a princess."

Artemis was still irritated that she had not gotten her way. Once again, Megan got the final word. It sure seemed like neither elder fairy ever wanted to listen to her ideas. That fact was more than a little frustrating. "I wanted purple."

Megan continued to drape the fabric around Artemis, tucking it in here and there to get it the way she wanted. "Yellow is a happy color," the redhead argued. "It's been a long time since the king and queen have been able to celebrate having their daughter. Zee's dress being yellow will only help."

The younger fairy could only mutter to herself. The redhead hummed as she continued to work on the garment. Across the cottage in the kitchen, the black clad fairy was consulting the cookbook once more. "Two eggs, fold in gently," Dinah read aloud. The oldest of the trio shrugged. Mortal cooking instructions had never made a lot of sense to her. She carefully placed to eggs into the bowl and put them under the batter.

The middle hairy had now cut holes for the neckline and for the sleeves. Artemis poked her head out and examined Megan's handiwork. "This looks awful," the green fairy said flatly. She made no effort to spare Megan's feelings.

"That's because it's on you," Megan quipped airily as she added a ribbon to the waistline.

Over in the kitchen, Dinah was still more than a little confused. "What's a tisp?"

Megan looked at her younger counterpart with one eyebrow arched. She was clearly just as confused as the black fairy. Artemis, however, heaved a sigh. "That means teaspoon, Dinah. It doesn't say tisp," the youngest blonde explained patiently.

"Oh!" Dinah exclaimed. "Of course."

The oldest female went back to adding ingredients to the cake batter. Megan turned her attention to Artemis and the dress. The pink fairy took out a measuring tape from the basket of sewing supplies and carefully held it against the gown that the green fairy modeled for her. "She sure has grown," remarked the middle woman as she checked to see that the dress would be long enough for Zatanna.

Dinah added her thoughts as well. "It seems like only yesterday that we took her from King Giovanni and Queen Sindella. She was just a tiny baby…"

"And tonight we'll have to give her back," Megan continued sadly. "We won't have Zee anymore."

Though Artemis was just as fond of the princess as her fellow fairies were, she was also the one who tried to look at things practically. "We've had her for sixteen years. And now it's time that she goes back to fulfill her duties of being a princess."

The oldest fairy wandered into the center of the cottage with the bowl held tightly against her. She stirred as she walked. "I think Artemis is right, Megan," the blonde said thoughtfully. "We all knew this day was coming." Dinah's blue gaze swept around the cottage, which was cluttered with all sorts of odds and ends from their party planning. "Let's get to work, or Zee will be back before we get started."

0o0o0o0

Zee made her way through the forest. She had filled her basket with several different kinds of berries that grew wildly and was now enjoying a walk. The raven haired youth was in no hurry to get back to her cottage. She was free to spend this beautiful day enjoying the scenery. This was undoubtedly one of the perks of living the simple kind of life that she did.

As she walked, she sang. Zee had a lovely, clear voice and she was nearly always singing something. Today she sung the same notes over and over again rather than a song, but it still sounded nice if she did say so herself. Zee wound a path deeper into the woods, still holding that long note. A few birds tweeted back at her as they heard her music.

The teenager chose a large tree to settle down under. She folded herself onto the grass, spreading her skirts around her. She and her two little bird companions were joined by a pair of fluffy gray rabbits, a squirrel, and a sleepy looking owl that she had woken with her singing.

That was another unusual thing about Zee. She often attracted the attention of animals as she went about her day. It never bothered the maiden, however. Her "aunts" were loving and had never been anything but kind to her. But they were very protective and as a result, Zee didn't know anyone her own age. The animal companions made her feel a little less lonely.

0o0o0o0

Unbeknownst to Zee, there was someone in the woods with her.

Prince Richard of Gothame was on his way to the kingdom of York. His father had gone on ahead of him but Richard had chosen to take a more roundabout path. King Bruce had not argued with this; he had been a lot more agreeable as the date of Princess Zatanna's return and the wedding drew closer.

The young prince had mixed feelings about his upcoming wedding. On one hand, he was twenty years old now, a fully grown man. He was the heir to the throne. His father had always raised him to put his duties to the country first. He had been betrothed to Princess Zatanna since childhood and had had plenty of time to get used to the idea. A union between Gothame and York would help fend off any threats from bigger, more powerful countries.

But on the other hand, Richard fancied himself to be a man of progress. He didn't think marriage should only be for convenience and power. Marriage could be for love, too. His father had deeply loved his mother, Queen Diana. His memories of his late mother were vague, but he did remember the great affection his parents had had for one another. Richard wanted that for himself.

He had not seen his intended bride since the day of her christening so many years before. The reason for this, of course, was that she had had a curse placed upon her by Klarion, the Lord of Chaos. For Zatanna's own protection, she had been taken far away to be raised in hiding. Richard had no idea what the girl was like. He did know that he would break off the engagement, however, if the princess did not seem to be someone he could grow to love. His father would be unhappy, he knew, but it didn't matter. Happiness mattered. The prince would simply not be tied down to someone who did not make him happy.

As Richard rode through the forest, he heard someone singing. It was a girl's voice, easily the loveliest he had ever heard. "Do you hear that, Ace?" the young prince asked his horse. "It's beautiful." Richard attempted to maneuver Ace so that he could hear the voice better, but Ace snorted and moved forward along the path they were taking.

But the raven haired royal knew how to get the stallion to do what he wanted. "Don't you want to earn an extra bucket of oats, Ace? And maybe a couple of carrots?"

Ace whinnied joyously and wheeled around. He galloped at top speed through the forest towards the sound of the voice. As they wound their way through the forest, Ace attempted to jump across a wide river, but badly misjudged the distance. The horse made it across but Richard lost his balance and fell into the lazily moving stream. Luckily, it wasn't deep, but the prince was soaked to the bone.

Ace, when he realized his master was no longer atop him, picked a careful path down the riverbank and into the stream. When Ace was close enough, Richard splashed some water on the horse. "No carrots."

0o0o0o0

Zee was still sitting under her tree. By now she had stopped singing and had instead started to daydream. For months, Zee had been dreaming about a mysterious stranger. She chalked it up to the simple fact that most girls her age were married and some already had babies. She'd lived a very sheltered life and it was more than a little lonely, even with her aunts and animal companions.

One of the small red birds that had joined her fluttered down and perched on her hand. Zee stroked its brilliant crimson feathers absentmindedly. She began to sing again. "I wonder…I wonder…I wonder why each little bird has a someone to sing to…"

Zee got to her feet and made her way to a spot at the very edge of the woods. A tree grew right at the top of the cliff and a branch sprouted from it at the exact right level for her to rest her elbows on. The view was exceptional from this vantage point; the young maiden could see the entire kingdom spread out below her. In the distance, the king's palace shimmered, a dazzling beacon.

The raven haired maiden let out a regretful sigh. She'd never even _been_ into the kingdom; that was yet another part of life that her guardians had sheltered her from. "They still treat me as if I'm a child," Zee murmured.

The owl that she had woken earlier hooted sleepily. "Whoo?'

Zee knew that the owl wasn't really responding to her, but she continued to speak anyway. "Well, Aunt Megan and Dinah and Artemis," the girl said. "They never want me to meet anyone or go anywhere. It's a little suffocating." Zee thought back to the wonderful dream and the handsome stranger. She smiled to herself and wandered away from the cliff. A small river wound lazily through the forest and Zee settled in on the bank, slipping her feet into the cool water.

Her animal friends took spots next to her. "Do you want to know a secret?" she asked conspiratorially. "I _have_ met someone." The owl hooted again and Zee went on. "He's handsome and king and so very romantic. We take long walks together and talk together…" The girl got to her feet once more and placed both her shawl and the blanket on a nearby log. She twirled around the small clearing once, her skirts spinning out around her. "Just before we say good-bye he'll hold me tightly…and then I wake up."

The birds chirped sadly. Zee smiled halfheartedly. "It will come true, I just know it. Aunt Megan always says things you dream about more than once always come true. And I've seen him so many times…" The maiden allowed her voice to trail off as she saw in her mind's eye the inky black hair and cerulean eyes of the stranger.

Zee sat there smile to herself. Little by little, the animals scurried away. The squirrels and birds had spotted an ebony cape hanging from a tree branch in the distance. So along with the rabbits and owl, they went to collect it. As the animals drew level with the tree where the cape hung, another human voice was heard.

"You know, Ace, I think there was something strange about that voice."

The voice belonged to a young man with jet black hair and bright blue eyes. He was sitting near the river, wrestling off a pair of black boots. The man was dressed in a black shirt with long sleeves under a midnight blue tunic, His breeches were also black. Close by, a handsome gray horse stood with its hooves in the river, getting its fill of fresh water.

"I bet it was some sort of sprite," the man continued. "Or maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me because I'm looking for any excuse to put off going to York…"

The man continued to muse on this. When the animals were sure that he was not paying attention to them, they took their chance. The two rabbits each nestled into one of the boots while the owl and the birds took the onyx colored cape. They dashed away into the woods.

There was a loud whinny from the horse. The man shouted and started to give chase. Finally the group of critters made it back to where Zee waited in the clearing. The red robins and the squirrel helped to fasten the cape around the owl and he hovered directly over the two rabbits in the bots.

When Zee saw this, she laughed heartily. "It's my dream prince," the maiden teased. Zee curtsied. "Your Highness." She started to sing the same notes she had been singing earlier, only this time she added some words. "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream…I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam…" Zee took hold of the cloak that the owl was wearing and began to twirl around the clearing, using the owl as a dance partner. The rabbits, still nestled in their boots, hopped frantically to keep up.

"Yet I know it's true, that visions are seldom all they seem…"

0o0o0o0

Prince Richard scrambled through the forest. He simply couldn't believe that forest creatures could steal his things. He was beginning to wonder if this strange forest was cursed. First he had heard that mysterious voice and now animals were taking his belongings. He had to get out of here.

As he chased after the woodland creatures, the prince started to hear that lovely voice again. Richard continued his mad dash through the trees and the singing grew louder. Finally, the crown prince stumbled into a clearing.

The animals that had robbed him of his clothes appeared to be…dancing. Even stranger still was the fact that the person they were dancing with was the owner of the beautiful voice he had been hearing.

The girl was just as lovely as her voice. She had silky ebony hair and brilliant crystal blue eyes. There was more to her loveliness than her admittedly nice facial features, though. Maybe it was the kindness so clearly visible in her eyes, or the way she sang and danced without a care. It was obvious to the prince that this maiden, whoever she was, had lived a simple life free of duty and obligation. And since he had been brought up in such a different way, something about this girl's free spirit really struck him.

Richard decided that he had to talk to her, to get to know her. When she had twirled away, he seized his chance. He grabbed the owl and his cape and moved them both aside.

The girl was still singing. "But if I know you, I know what you'll do…" She came spinning back towards him once more, her skirts and hair both flying out in a circle. He caught her gently by the wrists and finished the song.

"You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream."

The girl gasped. "Oh!" she exclaimed, removing herself from his grasp at once. "_Oh_."

Perhaps he shouldn't have snuck up on her. He held up his hands with his palms facing out as a gesture that he meant no harm. "I didn't mean to frighten you," Richard apologized. He reached for her hand again, unwilling to let her go before he'd had the chance to speak to her. Of course, being a prince, he had been raised with better manners than that, but at the moment he didn't care too much. He was simply too enchanted by her.

"It wasn't that," said the maiden. "It's just that… you're a…"

"A stranger," Prince Richard supplied. The girl nodded fervently. "But don't you remember? We've met before."

She looked confused. "We have?" she questioned, her brow furrowed.

Richard grinned. "You said so yourself. Once upon a dream." He paused for a moment. His companion had not tried to pull away from him again. He decided he could keep singing her song. "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream…" His voice, while not as pretty as hers, was still pleasant enough. "I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam… "

The girl smiled now. She stepped in closer to him, resting the hand that wasn't clasped in his on his shoulder. The prince put his other hand at her waist. And then they began to dance.


	8. Chalant Sleeping Beauty Part Three

**Once Upon a Time**

**Chalant – "Sleeping Beauty"**

**Part Three**

When Zee and the stranger finished their dance, he did not let go of her hand. Zee did not mind this in the slightest. The raven haired maiden had realized who this stranger was: the mysterious man from her dreams. She was so enchanted by the thought of her dreams coming true that she did not even consider protesting.

Zee led the way deeper into the forest. She came to a stop at the edge of the same cliff she had been at earlier. Zee and the stranger leaned against the tree trunk and looked out at the spectacular view of the kingdom. The teenage girl found herself resting her head on his shoulder. His arm wrapped around her waist.

"Who are you?" he asked. "What is your name?"

Though Zee admittedly did not know the young man beside her very well, it sounded to her as if he was just as wonderstruck as she.

"Hmm?" she asked sleepily. She was still enveloped in the delightful hazy daydream world that she'd been in since her realization. His question made her come to her senses immediately. "No, no, no...I can't," Zee said. The words came tumbling from her mouth.

The man grinned at her rather cheekily. "That's an odd name," he said.

Zee ignored him. She withdrew from his hold and dashed around the tree towards the rest of the forest.

"Wait!" he commanded. "You must come back!" She continued to pay him no mind as she expertly wound a path through the trees. "When will I see you again?" the man called.

"You won't," Zee replied. She hopped from stone to stone across the stream. She just had to get back to the cottage. The maiden could not believe how foolish she had been. Her aunts would be so disappointed with her actions. Maybe they were right to be protective of her all those years. When given a little freedom the first thing she had done was start dancing and talking with a stranger! Maybe Zee wasn't as mature as she'd like to think herself.

"You mean I'll never see you again?" he asked. He had pursued her into the forest and was now at the opposite side of the small river.

The obvious distress in his voice made Zee reconsider. She was definitely intrigued by her companion to say the least. She'd like to get to know him better and to maybe discover why she'd been dreaming of him.

"Tonight," Zee decided. "I live at the cottage in the glen. It's the only one there." Zee knew that her aunts would not be pleased that she had invited a stranger into their home, but they would be there to chaperone, which would make them happy enough. And, the maiden mused, it was her birthday. She could invite whomever she wished to celebrate it with her.

Zee returned to the spot where she'd left her shawl and her basket. She gathered them up in her arms and continued on her way home.

"I shall see you there!" he promised.

0o0o0o0

Back at the cottage, plans for the princess's celebration were not going so well. Dinah had attempted to frost the cake before baking it. As a result, the batter simply oozed out no matter what she did with it. Finally, the black clad fairy decided to stick the broom handle against the cake to prop it up.

"What do you think?" the oldest of the trio asked her fellow fairies.

Megan and Artemis both looked over at their elder. Artemis, who was already standing with her arms folded across her chest, scoffed loudly at the mess the other blonde had made. The redhead shot Artemis a glare before looking back at Dinah. "It's a very unusual cake," the pink fairy offered.

"The cake will be much more solid once it's baked," the black fairy said. Megan nodded and then looked at where the youngest fairy stood. Artemis still had her arms crossed and there was a scowl on her face. Megan, however, was beaming at the dress she had created.

"How does the dress look?" the redhead asked.

It was Dinah's turn to be a little less than honest. "The dress looks quite unique, Megan," stated the oldest fairy in a careful, measured voice.

To be fair, the dress _was _unique. The yellow fabric had uneven sleeves, an uneven hemline, and gigantic stitches. It was festooned with several large bows and a fair share of ruffles. The finished project looked nothing like the design in the book.

"I think I improved on the design," Megan said happily. "Of course, it's not quite finished yet. I'm going to add a few more ruffles and maybe some lace..."

Finally, Artemis could take it no longer. She hopped down from the stool she'd been standing on and ripped the poor excuse for a gown off of her body. "This has gone on long enough!" the youngest girl cried. "I think we ought to think of Zee and what she'll think of this awful disaster. Now, this is the last time we'll ever get to celebrate with just the four of us. Shouldn't we make this special?"

Megan and Dinah exchanged a look before nodding. Artemis smiled. "Then let's use magic." And with that, the green clad fairy marched upstairs and returned with the three magic wands. She handed the older fairies their respective wands and kept her own. It felt nice to have it back; sixteen years was an awfully long time. A shower of green sparks erupted from the tip.

"Be _careful_, Artemis," scolded Megan. She glanced around the cottage anxiously, as if she thought Klarion might appear out of thin air. "Close all the windows and doors," she instructed her fellow fairies. The trio sprung into action. Dinah pulled the window shut and drew the curtains back together, while Artemis shut the top half of the Dutch door. The red haired fairy went along behind them, stuffing rags into the crevices so that no trace of magic could escape from the cabin.

Once Megan felt that the little home was properly blocked off, she started to hand out assignments. "Dinah, you make the cake. Artemis, you'll clean up this mess. I'll make the dress." The pink fairy pointed her wand at the trunk. The leftover yellow velvet floated out of the trunk.

Dinah bustled back into the kitchen area once more, leaving Artemis to heave a dramatic sigh. Once again, she was bossed around because she was the youngest. The green fairy directed her wand at the broom, mop, and bucket that were leaning in one corner. "Megan says clean up the room," murmured the green fairy.

Immediately, the cleaning products sprang to life. The broom began to sweep itself across the hardwood floors. The mop followed along after the broom, dipping itself into the bucket and scrubbing the floor in the broom's wake.

Megan was busy making the dress. The canary colored velvet had been shaped into a long, flowing skirt. The matching bodice quickly followed. With another flick of her hand, Megan attached the two pieces together.

The oldest fairy was consulting the recipe book again. "Just do what it says in the book," the black clad woman instructed the ingredients. The bag of flour marched over to the mixing bowl and poured itself in. The eggs cracked themselves and a large wooden spoon began to mix the concoction.

The cabin and birthday celebration were really coming along. The floors were clean and the cake had been baked with a swish of Dinah's magic wand. The black fairy was decorating the lavish dessert with lilac colored frosting, humming to herself. Megan, meanwhile, had just added the second sleeve to Zee's gown and was working on adding some lighter yellow trim.

Artemis made a face. "_Yellow_," she muttered in a disgusted tone. She pointed her wand at the garment. "Make it purple," the youngest blonde commanded.

"Artemis!" shrieked the redhead in a scandalized voice. Megan promptly turned the dress back to yellow. She glared daggers at the green fairy as she did so.

This only made Artemis feel even more determined to have her way. She aimed a stream of purple sparks at the gown once more. The pink fairy dove in front of her creation, turning her peasant garb violet in the process. In retaliation, the pink fairy turned Artemis's clothing bright yellow.

The two younger fairies continued to engage in a silent battle. In next to no time, almost everything in the cottage had been turned yellow or purple. And despite Megan carefully boarding up the cottage so that no signs of magic escaped, there was one thing she hadn't thought to cover – the fireplace and the chimney.

0o0o0o0

Teekl, Klarion's familiar, was still out doing his master's bidding. The familiar was nearly done searching the kingdom. He did not much like the idea of going back to the Forbidden Mountain empty handed.

But as the large brown cat made his way through the forest, he came upon the cottage where the three fairies had escaped with the infant princess so long ago. Curious, he watched the house for a few moments. And as he watched, the familiar saw the sparks begin to fly out of the chimney.

Teekl knew the signs of magic when he saw them. A slow, evil grin crossed the cat's face. He darted off through the woods closer to the house so that he could observe. He hoped he would soon be able to tell Klarion the good news.

0o0o0o0

Back inside the cottage, Artemis and Megan were still fighting over the color of the dress. Both fairies had taken to hiding behind various objects to keep their clothes the proper color and trying to transform Zee's gown to the hue of their choosing at the same time.

Eventually, the green and pink fairies both aimed their magic at the dress at the exact same moment. The result was a garment that was half yellow and half purple. Megan let out a gasp. "Look what you've done," she scolded the younger girl. She pointed her magic wand at the dress. The purple spots seeped away, leaving only the yellow behind.

"That was just as much your fault as it was mine," Artemis shot back defensively.

The redhead opened her mouth to reply, but Dinah shushed them both. "Stop bickering, you two, and listen," the oldest of the trio commanded.

When the argument ceased, both of the younger fairies heard what Dinah had heard. A lovely, clear voice was singing a song. The owner of the voice did not sound far away at all. The voice was also instantly recognizable as –

"Zee!" exclaimed Artemis. She pointed her wand at her clothes and changed them back to green. Megan changed her own garments back to her usual bright pink.

"We've wasted enough time," the redhead stated. She draped the dress carefully over one of the kitchen chairs while Artemis hurriedly arranged the dishes in the cabinet and Dinah lit the candles. Megan glanced around the cabin and saw that everything was back in its proper place. "Everyone, hide!" she ordered.

Artemis decided to hide on the staircase, which was not visible from the door. As the blonde fairy crept past the others, she pointed her wand at the dress, transforming it once more from yellow to purple.

"Aunt Megan! Aunt Dinah! Aunt Artemis!" Zee's voice called as she drew closer to the cottage. The door creaked open and the maiden came bustling inside. She hung up her shawl and placed the basket of berries by the door.

When Zee saw the surprises the fairies had left out for her, she let out a gasp.

0o0o0o0

Zee had rushed through the woods as fast as she could. She couldn't wait to tell her aunts all about the lovely day she had had and the enchanting man she had met. Zee had hoped she could persuade her aunts to allow her new acquaintance to join them but the maiden had also thought of a few arguments in case they were less than enthusiastic about the idea.

Zee stopped short, however, when she saw what was waiting for her. On the table was a four layered cake with purple icing. Sixteen candles were already lit atop the cake. Next to the table was one of the kitchen chairs. A gown in a deep purple color had been carefully arranged on the chair. The garment was a very fancy one. It was something Zee would have pictured a queen or a princess wearing, not someone like her.

Nevertheless, the raven haired youth, seized the dress, letting out a gasp as she fingered the soft velvet it was made from. Zee twirled around the kitchen. This truly had been the best day of her life. Everything had been so perfect up to this point.

Now her three aunts appeared. Each of the three older women beamed at her. "Happy birthday!" they shouted in unison.

"This is wonderful," Zee declared happily. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" The young lady carefully placed the dress back on the chair before spinning around again. Deep down, she knew she was probably too old to be acting in such a giddy way, but Zee didn't care. "Just wait until you meet him," she told the trio. Zee began to hum the song she and the stranger had sung in the forest.

The other women exchanged a wary glance. "Him?" Dinah repeated. The black clad woman wore an expression of disapproval. "Have you been talking to strangers, Zee?" the oldest of her aunts demanded.

"Not strangers. Just the one," the maiden replied. Zee did not usually talk to her aunts so cheekily, but she was not thinking clearly. She was still caught up in her daydream. "And really, Aunt Dinah, he's not even a stranger. We've met before."

Megan and Artemis started to mirror the older woman. Looks of dread had been etched onto all three of her aunts' faces. "Zee," Artemis said, sounding scandalized.

"When did you meet this man?" the redhead questioned.

Zee began to hum again. "We met once upon a dream," she answered. The raven haired maiden seized Artemis by the hands and began to dance around the cottage with her.

This left her older aunts to conspire together. "She's in love," Dinah murmured.

"It's terrible," Megan added.

These words got through to Zee even in her dreamlike state. "What's so wrong with that?" she questioned. "I am sixteen now. I'm old enough to marry if I choose."

Dinah's blue eyes focused on Zee. "It's not about your age, my dear," she informed Zee. Her voice was kind again.

The pink clad redhead added, "You're already betrothed, Zee."

That was news to Zee. She clapped a hand to her mouth. How could she have been betrothed and not know about it? Surely her aunts would have told her. To find out that she was betrothed on her sixteenth birthday was the kind of ugly surprise Zee was certain she'd never have.

"To whom?" Zee asked eventually.

"To Prince Richard of Gothame," the green clad blonde supplied. Of the three, Artemis looked the most sympathetic.

Confusion washed over her. "That isn't possible," Zee breathed. "If I were to marry a prince, I would have to be a –"

"A princess," the three older women chorused together. "And you are," Megan added. "You're Princess Zatanna."

Zee had heard the name in passing before. It was common knowledge that the princess of York had been taken away from King Giovanni and Queen Sindella shortly after her birth, though the reasons for this were never quite agreed on. But never in her wildest dreams would Zee have thought that _she_ had been the princess all this time.

Artemis patted Zee's arm. "Tonight we're taking you back to your mother and father."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to see the boy you've met," Dinah stated. There was a touch of regret in the oldest woman's voice.

Tears pricked at the princess's eyes. "This is not fair," she cried as the tears started to fall. She brushed past her aunts towards the small staircase at the other end of the cottage. "I can't believe what you've done to me!" Zatanna hurried up the stairs and into her bedroom. She threw herself down on her bed, sobbing into the pillow.

Downstairs, the three fairies were exchanging worried glances. "I thought she'd be so happy," the pink fairy spoke up timidly.

"She'll get used to it," Dinah replied sagely. "When she learns that this was all for her protection, she will understand why we have done what we have."

The green fairy was less than convinced. "This is an awful lot to tell her all at once," the youngest blonde remarked. "Maybe we did go about things in the wrong way. Why _should_ she have to marry some prince who she doesn't even know? If the boy from the forest makes her happy, then who are we to stand in her way?"

"She's a princess, Artemis," Dinah said in a tired voice. "There are certain responsibilities that come along with that. For Zatanna, marrying Prince Richard is one of those responsibilities." The black fairy turned to where the dress and cake sat, now forgotten. She picked up the gown from the chair. "Zee will need to get dressed. We'll have to leave soon."

Dinah started toward the staircase with the gown still in her hands. Artemis, however, took the dress away from the elder fairy. "I'll help her," she said firmly. She turned on her heel and marched up the stairs.


	9. Chalant Sleeping Beauty Part Four

**Once Upon a Time**

**Chalant – "Sleeping Beauty"**

**Part Four**

Many miles away, King Giovanni stood in his palace. He was on one of the balconies that overlooked the forest. The king wanted to see his long lost daughter as soon as possible and his current vantage point allowed that.

His wife, Queen Sindella, had gone to oversee the construction of the princess's bedroom. Once upon a time, the room at the top of the tallest tower had been prepared for Zatanna's use. But in the grief that resulted from sending their daughter into hiding, the king and queen had ordered it to be boarded up.

But in the months leading up to Princess Zatanna's return, Sindella had turned the restoration of the tower bedroom into a sort of project. The room had been aired out and a new bed had been placed inside. The vanity hosted a collection of dainty bottles of different scents, as well as the gift Prince Richard had brought Zatanna when she was an infant. Inside the ornate jewelry box was a dainty golden necklace. The vase on the mantle of the fireplace had fresh flowers on it. It had given his wife great joy to prepare the room for their daughter, and it was a nice sight for the king to see his queen in good spirits for the first time in so many years.

King Giovanni let out a sigh. "There is still no sign of her," he announced as he turned away from the balcony. He turned to King Bruce, who had arrived at the palace very recently. Servants had hurriedly prepared a plate of food for the visiting monarch and King Bruce was making a bit of a show of sampling everything.

Finally, the other king looked over at Giovanni. "It is still early," Bruce said. "The sun has not yet set. I am sure that the fairies are merely taking all the precautions that they can, Giovanni."

The king of York was not quite convinced. "The war is nearly over," King Bruce continued. "Your daughter is as good as home now."

Giovanni sighed again. "I apologize, Bruce. It's been very difficult for Sindella and I, you know. Being separated from Zatanna, never knowing if Klarion had been successful in his evil endeavors...I've had many sleepless nights, old friend."

The other man nodded. "Fortunately, that is all going to be in the past after tonight. Princess Zatanna will return and she and Richard will marry. We'll have our kingdoms united at last." The king of Gothame clapped his hands. A redheaded servant by the name of Roy came bustling towards the two kings. He carried a bottle of wine and two silver goblets. "I've been saving this one for this very occasion," Bruce explained. He motioned for Roy to pour the drinks.

Each king took hold of a goblet. "I propose a toast," Bruce said. "To the future!"

"I will drink to that," King Giovanni replied with a slight smile. Each monarch took a deep drink from their goblet. Roy helped himself to a glass as well, but neither ruler noticed.

King Bruce pulled a sheaf of parchment from his robes. "These are the plans for the castle I've had constructed for Richard and Zatanna," he told his fellow monarch. "I know they will appreciate having their own space. As you can see, the castle sits on the very border of Gothame so it will not be too far of a journey for you and Sindella. This palace has been built with all the finest amenities. It will be a perfect place for Richard and Zatanna to raise their children."

This caught King Giovanni a bit off guard. "Children?" he repeated.

"We are not getting any younger," Bruce replied. He took another deep sip of his wine. "Richard is my only child. I should like to see my grandchildren, Giovanni. Surely you feel the same way?"

"I supposed," the other ruler responded. "There's no need to rush things though, Bruce. The children are young. They have many years ahead of them. I have not even seen my daughter yet, and already you have extensive plans to take her away from me."

The wine was starting to get to King Bruce. "You will be getting my Richard, Giovanni," he pointed out. His tone was now cold.

Giovanni held out his hands with his palms facing out as a gesture that he meant no harm. "I understand that. But we must consider that the princess does not know about any of the plans we've had for her since birth. It will probably come as a shock to her."

"A shock?" echoed Gothame's monarch. "My son, a shock? Is something wrong with Richard? Why doesn't your daughter like my son?"

"Enough!" bellowed Giovanni. "Richard is a fine young man. I am sure, in time, that he and Zatanna will grow to care for one another deeply, if not love each other. I only meant to say that we must make allowances for Zatanna to get used to the fact that she is a princess."

There was a response on the tip of King Bruce's tongue, but he did not utter it. King Giovanni's green gaze had fallen to the view just outside the balcony once more. The sun was low in the sky. "My daughter," the king murmured to himself. He moved back to the balcony without another word to Bruce.

In the distance, a trumpet blared. "His Royal Highness, Prince Richard!"

0o0o0o0

Prince Richard steered Ace through the gates of King Giovanni's palace. As the prince and the horse galloped through the courtyard to applause from some nobles who had gathered, there was only one thing on the prince's mind.

He had to speak to his father. He had to break the engagement between himself and Princess Zatanna. Richard was so thoroughly enchanted by the girl from the forest that he could not imagine being married to anyone else. The prince knew there would most likely be consequences, but he didn't care. He would face anything that came his way.

His father, King Bruce, came down a set of steps. "I see you've had a safe journey," the king stated. "But you have cut it a bit too close. You must go and put on presentable garments. You cannot meet your bride in those travel clothes."

Richard dismounted Ace. "But I _have_ met her, Father," the prince replied. He was a bit cheeky, perhaps, but he didn't care. He only cared about getting through to the king about his desire to end the betrothal to Zatanna. "We met once upon a dream."

"You've met Princess Zatanna?" the king of Gothame inquired, ignoring Richard's statement of meeting once upon a dream. "Where is she? Giovanni and Sindella are quite anxious."

The prince grinned at his father. "I never said it was Zatanna. Father, I met a girl on my journey to the palace. She is unlike anyone I have ever met before. She is the one I will make my bride."

The older royal let out a sigh. "Who is this maiden?"

"A peasant girl, I suppose," the prince responded. The king huffed. Clearly, Bruce had a remark about class and marrying below one's station ready. Richard cut his father off before Bruce could say anything. "She makes me happy, Father," he said earnestly.

King Bruce's features softened. He was, no doubt, remembering the late Queen Diana. "I think that Giovanni is not quite ready to see his daughter married off yet. Go to your girl, Richard. I will tell Giovanni and Sindella. But there may be serious consequences, my son. I hope you are prepared to face them," lectured Bruce.

Richard swung himself back atop Ace's saddle. "I will be, Father!" he promised as Ace began to gallop back across the courtyard. "I shall see you soon!"

0o0o0o0

King Bruce sank down onto the castle steps. "How will I tell Giovanni?" the monarch asked himself. "After the fuss I made about the plans for the palace and grandchildren...this will make both Richard and I look quite foolish..."

Gothame's reigning king let out a sigh. He did want his son to be happy, but at the same time, he had always raised the prince to put his duties to Gothame first.

Bruce knew exactly what his wife would have said had she still been at his side. Diana had been from a far away land where the customs were a lot different. Their marriage had been an arranged one, but they had grown to love one another deeply. Diana would have said that Richard's happiness was more important than anything else. "Alliances can be forged in other ways," was what the queen would have told him.

Gothame's ruler rose to his feet. He went to tell his oldest friend of the bad news, his heart heavy.

0o0o0o0

Zatanna was still lying on the bed, sobbing into her pillow. The door to her bedroom opened with a slight creak. Zee sat up, wiping her eyes as she did so. She saw Artemis in the doorway holding the purple gown.

"It is time to get dressed," the older girl stated. Artemis had the grace to look at her sympathetically. The green clad blonde stepped into the room.

Zee shook her head. "I don't want to. I don't want to go to the palace. I don't want to be a princess. I only want to meet the boy here, just like I promised him I would."

The older woman let out a sigh. She crossed the small room to the bed where Zee sat. Artemis carefully spread the dress across the bed and then perched next to the newly minted princess. "I know this is a surprise to you," she said. Her voice was heavy. "But it was for your own protection. I'm sure Prince Richard is a nice young man. He will be a good husband."

Zatanna felt tears sting at her eyes once more. "You don't understand, Aunt Artemis. I've been dreaming about this man for months. He suddenly appeared in my waking hours. Don't you think that means something? This man is my destiny, not some prince." She was a little surprised at how strong her voice came out, but it was a pleasant sort of surprise.

Artemis's gray gaze seemed very far away all of a sudden. Zatanna wondered what the older woman was thinking. "I was in your position once," she said finally.

"You were in love?" the royal maiden asked.

"Long ago, before you were ever even thought of," the green woman said. "His name was Wallace. He was a mortal. It wasn't meant to be. Because, like you, I had to do what was expected of me. I promise, Zee, things will turn out fine. Now, let's get dressed."

Zee got to her feet. She allowed Artemis to help her dress in the violet gown. The maiden had to admit that it was a beautiful dress. She certainly _felt_ like a princess while wearing it.

The two women made their way down the small set of steps. Megan and Dinah were waiting by the door. They tried to smile at her, which she bravely returned. As she drew closer to the older women, Dinah draped a long black cloak over Zee's shoulders. Zee pulled the hood over her head.

The quartet of women made their way into the forest in a single file line. They traveled quickly, though Zee noticed that Megan and Dinah looked carefully around every turn. What they were looking for was uncertain to the newly minted princess. But she was really too miserable to care.

They led her up an abandoned staircase to the castle's highest tower. Again, the maiden wondered why the three older women were acting so secretively. Megan ushered Zatanna into a bedchamber. Artemis bolted the door, while Dinah closed the heavy drapes across the window. The redhead directed Zatanna to sit down at the vanity.

Zee watched in fascination as the three women who had raised her produced what appeared to be magic wands. Each lady grew a pair of shimmering wings as well. "You're fairies!" she exclaimed.

"We are," Dinah confirmed. "We've been the protectors of your bloodline since your great-grandfather was king."

The raven haired princess might have been more interested in this, but learning the truth was still too fresh in her mind. Her beloved aunts being fairies was just another betrayal.

The pink clad fairy opened a box that sat on the vanity. She lifted a triangular golden necklace from the jewelry box and clasped it around Zee's neck. Then she waved her wand. A small golden crown with three points appeared in midair. "One last gift from us to thee. A symbol of thy royalty."

Zatanna gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She supposed the tiara did suit her, but at the moment she was still too upset. The truth sunk in. She was a princess now. She would never learn of the connection between herself and the man from her dreams, whatever it was. She would be married to a prince she did not know and did not love.

The maiden could not help it. She folded her arms across the top of the vanity. Zee put her face down and began to sob again. She wept for all the things she had lost. What Zatanna wouldn't give to wake up and find that this had all been a terrible nightmare.

She could feel the trio of fairies' eyes upon her. "We must go and inform Sindella and Giovanni," Megan said to the two blondes. "We will let you have a few moments alone, Princess."

"It's that boy she met," Dinah murmured to the younger fairies. "Whatever are we going to do? The poor child is miserable. We can't present her to Their Majesties like this; this is supposed to be a happy occasion!"

Artemis said something that Zatanna did not make out as Megan pulled the heavy oak door shut.

Suddenly, the fire that had been roaring merrily in the fireplace went out. Warmth rushed from the room. Zatanna lifted her head from her arms.

There was a small blue light in the fireplace. It appeared to be...glowing. Zee tried to tear her gaze away from the strange light. She was certain that it had something to do with the reason she'd been in hiding, whatever that might be.

She found, however, that she could not look away. She was in a trance. The princess got to her feet slowly. The cloak fell from her shoulders. Zee's body began to move across the tower bedchamber of its own accord. The raven haired girl could hear the fairies discussing her on the other side of the door, but no sound escaped from her lips.

The teenager followed the light. The fireplace disappeared, giving way to a long, cold tunnel that was illuminated only by the blue glow. Zee was vaguely aware of the door being thrown open and the fairies yelling her name.

They did not get to her in time. The princess heard what sounded like bricks being dropped on top of each other, but she could not check to see if this was the case.

The light led to a steep staircase. Zee had no choice but to climb it. She lifted her skirts so that it would be easier.

"Zee!" the trio of fairies exclaimed together. "Don't touch anything!"

The princess was led to an impossibly high room. The light transformed into what the princess recognized to be a spinning wheel. She had never seen one in person, but she had seen illustrations. For some reason, the spindle looked oddly inviting. Princess Zatanna had the strangest desire to touch it.

"Zee!" screeched the fairies. Her hand was just inches away. Her guardians sounded so desperately worried. She came to her senses for just a moment. Zatanna pulled her hand away.

And then another voice spoke, one that the princess had never heard before. "Touch the spindle," ordered a high, cold voice. Zatanna had no choice but to obey.

The last thing the princess heard before everything went black was a burst of evil laughter.


	10. Chalant Sleeping Beauty Part Five

**Once Upon a Time**

**Chalant – "Sleeping Beauty"**

**Part Five**

The three fairies came bursting into the tower room. They all heard the cruel sound of Klarion's laughter and their hearts sank in their chests.

Klarion stood in the center of the room. The smirk on his face told the trio that they were too late. "You poor, simple fools," he sneered at the fairies. "You were stupid to think that the likes of you could ever outsmart me! I am the Lord of Chaos!" Klarion laughed his cold, evil laugh once more. "Here's your precious princess!" he taunted.

The imp stepped aside to reveal that Princess Zatanna lay spread eagled on the cold stone floor. Her tiara had fallen off of her head, and she was so still that if the fairies had not known better, they might have thought her dead.

Klarion had not thought to ensure that his curse had truly come to pass. The evil imp disappeared in a flash of blue lightning. His laughter echoed off of the stone walls of the tower.

"Zee," Artemis murmured sadly as she and her fellow fairies crossed the fallen princess's side. She glanced at both Megan and Dinah. Silent tears streamed down the redhead's face. Dinah looked uncharacteristically angry.

"I will never forgive myself," the pink clad fairy sobbed.

Artemis looked up at the older woman, preparing to comfort her, when she noticed something. The sun had just finished its descent through the sky. Klarion had struck just when he'd said he would.

0o0o0o0

King Giovanni and Queen Sindella took their seats in the throne room. The queen slid one hand into her husband's and peered anxiously at the spiral staircase in the opposite corner of the room. It was this staircase that the princess would descend when she was to make her appearance.

All of the nobility had gathered in the throne room as well. There was to be a feast and a ball in honor of Princess Zatanna's return. The lords and ladies all milled around the room talking amongst themselves.

King Bruce approached his fellow monarchs. He still had yet to tell them of Richard's decision to break off the engagement between himself and Zatanna. Bruce knew that his son must truly have fallen for his peasant girl if he felt comfortable breaking his obligations.

The foreign king hoped the conversation he was about to have would not be too ugly. Giovanni and Sindella were his dearest friends and he hoped he would not offend them as badly as he feared he might. Gothame could not afford a war with York.

"There is something I must discuss with you, Giovanni," Bruce said gravely as he drew closer to his fellow king.

Giovanni turned to the other man. "I am sure it can wait," he said in a distracted tone. The king's green eyes turned back toward the staircase.

"It's about Richard," Bruce added.

That got Giovanni's attention. "Oh, yes. Richard. Where is the boy? Zatanna will be here at any moment. He should be on hand to meet her."

"I am trying to tell you," Bruce answered. "It is a very difficult thing to say, Giovanni. You see, my son has –"

"Send for him at once," Giovanni ordered.

Gothame's monarch let out a sigh. He was about to try to speak to his friend again when a trumpet blared in the distance once more.

"The sun has set!" announced the trumpeter. "The princess shall be here at any moment!"

The crowd cheered. A grand display of fireworks exploded across the sky above the courtyard. Everyone present was ecstatic. The princess had come home at last.

0o0o0o0

Megan, Dinah, and Artemis had moved the princess from the tower where she'd fallen victim to Klarion's magic. The trio of fairies had used their magic to carry the slumbering princess into her tower bedchamber. They placed her on the bed and covered her with the blanket.

Dinah conjured a rose and placed it in Zee's hands. She had also placed the crown back atop her head. The princess looked so lovely with the golden crown in her dark locks and wearing the beautiful gown Megan had so lovingly made for her. It was a shame that all of their carefully laid plans had been for nothing.

The pink fairy was wringing her hands. "We have failed," Megan said sadly. She reached down to brush some stray hair away from the princess's face. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

None of the fairies could bear to look at their beloved princess in this state. Megan turned away from the sleeping maiden and walked out onto the balcony. The green and black fairies joined her.

Below in the courtyard, the people of York were rejoicing over the return of their princess. Megan began to sob harder. Dinah patted the younger woman's shoulder.

Soon, the fairies knew, Giovanni and Sindella would wonder why their daughter had not made her entrance. The king and queen would come to investigate, and the trio of fairies would have to explain that Klarion had gotten his way after all.

"Poor Giovanni and Sindella," the black fairy murmured.

"They'll be heartbroken," the redhead added as she wiped her face.

But Artemis had had an idea. "The king and queen will not find out," the youngest blonde said firmly. "We will put everyone in the castle to sleep, just like Zee. Then we will go home to the cottage, find the boy, and bring him here to break the spell."

The older fairies looked to each other and then back at the sleeping Zee. She was counting on them. Artemis's plan made a lot of sense. Both women nodded in agreement. The middle fairy pulled the drapes shut to hide the princess and then the trio took to the skies.

Megan, Dinah, and Artemis turned themselves miniature. Slowly but surely, the trio made their way around the castle walls. They put all of the guards to sleep using their magic before entering the palace to do the same.

Servants and nobility alike were all put to sleep under the trio's magic spell. Many people yawned before simply slumping over right where they stood. None of them looked very comfortable, but that was not a concern for the three fairies at the moment.

The redhead flew over to Giovanni, Sindella, and Bruce. The queen appeared to be asleep already, probably as a result of all the sleeping dust that was flying around. The pair of kings both looked quite sleepy as well. King Bruce was slumped against Giovanni's throne.

"As I was trying to tell you," Bruce said through a yawn, "Richard will not be joining us after all. He does not wish to marry Zatanna. He met some peasant girl."

Giovanni yawned as well. He placed his elbow on the arm rest of his ornate throne so that he could rest his chin in his hand. He mumbled something in a tired voice.

But the monarch's words had gotten to Megan. Prince Richard had fallen in love with a peasant girl? The odds of that happening didn't seem very likely. Unless...

The pink clad fairy immediately tried to wake up the foreign king. "A peasant girl? Where did he meet her?" She tugged at the king's hair, hoping that it would startle him awake.

The sleeping spell was a powerful one, however. King Bruce was too deeply under the spell to be roused by the fairy pulling his hair. Frustrated, Megan hovered next to Bruce's right ear. She yelled, "But where did he meet this girl?" as loudly as she could manage to,

Bruce heard her that time. "Once upon a dream," the monarch uttered sleepily. The ruler turned his face away from Megan and fell back asleep almost instantaneously.

This information was enough for Megan. She frantically waved her fellow fairies over to where she hovered. Dinah and Artemis finished making sure that all of the humans were asleep before they joined the middle fairy.

"What is the problem, Megan?" Dinah asked the younger fairy.

Megan's face paled. "King Bruce said that Prince Richard met a girl 'once upon a dream.' Don't you remember? Zee said the same thing,."

"So Prince Richard is the boy Zatanna met in the woods," Artemis said slowly. A smile broke out across the youngest girl's face. It looked like things for the princess would work out after all. The blonde fairy was glad for that; she truly was.

Neither Dinah nor Megan smiled back at her. "We must go back to the cabin," Dinah said. "If Klarion knew when to strike against Zee, I bet he was following us. Richard was going to the cottage. We cannot leave the prince unprotected. Klarion will kill him."

Artemis hadn't thought of that. But the black fairy was correct. An ordinary human stood no chance against the Lord of Chaos.

The trio of fairies exited the palace at once. They took off into the night, hoping against all odds that they were not too late.

0o0o0o0

Prince Richard felt his spirits rise as a cottage came into view. Just as the girl had said, it was the only dwelling in the entire forest. He began to hum their song again.

It was probably foolish to say that he had fallen in love with the mysterious maiden after knowing her for only a few short hours. But to the future king, it certainly _felt_ as if he had fallen in love. Even though it had only taken an afternoon to complete the trip to Giovanni's palace and return to the forest, it seemed to the young royal that it had been ages. He did not like to be away from his maiden.

He could not wait to make her his bride. He was sure that once he informed her of his royal title, she would be quite agreeable. She'd seemed to be just as enchanted by him as he was with her. Richard felt quite confident that she'd have him whether he was a prince or a commoner.

The prince dismounted Ace and left him to graze near the cabin. He straightened his cape so that it hung evenly and gave the horse a winning smile. Ace whinnied halfheartedly before going back to eating.

Richard knocked upon the Dutch door. A high pitched voice replied, "Come in." He did just that.

He found that the dwelling was dark inside. The prince frowned. Something was not right here. Fear pricked at him. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

The door, which he had left slightly ajar, slammed shut, seemingly of its own accord. When Richard turned to investigate, he was ambushed.

His attackers were strange little creatures. He had no idea what they were, only that their glowing yellow eyes had a distinctly sinister look to them. Richard fought against them as best he could, but he was simply outnumbered. The assailants had his arms bent back at a painful angle. There was no way for the prince to reach the small dagger that hung on his belt.

Soon the little goblins had his wrists bound behind his back. A gag was shoved into his mouth. The prince stopped struggling, knowing it was futile.

A figure stepped out of the shadows. It carried a lit candle. As it drew closer to him, Richard recognized it. It was Klarion, the Lord of Chaos. Richard had not seen the imp since he had been a small child at Princess Zatanna's christening, but the prince remembered being plagued by nightmares involving Klarion for years afterwards. He would know that repulsive face anywhere.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Klarion simpered. "A pleasant surprise, that is for sure. It is so lovely to see you again, my dear Prince Richard. And to think, I set this trap expecting to find a commoner. How delightful it is to have captured a prince instead." Beside Klarion, his familiar Teekl purred in a contented sort of way.

Klarion snapped his fingers. "Take him to my dungeon." ordered the Lord of Chaos. "But be gentle, my pets. I have plans for our royal guest." Klarion laughed a cold laugh as his minions frog marched Prince Richard out of the cabin.

The prince was not afraid for himself, however. He was beginning to put the pieces together. And he knew that the girl from the forest was in danger.

0o0o0o0

The three fairies made their way through the forest at a breakneck pace. As they approached the cottage, however, all felt as if they were already too late. The trio flew into the dwelling that had been their home for the past sixteen years via the open Dutch door.

There were signs of a struggle: broken dishes on the floor, chairs knocked over, and curtains that had been torn down from the windows. The most telling sign was a long black cape crumpled in a heap on the floor. Upon closer inspection, the fastening on the cape bore the insignia of the royal family of Gothame.

"Prince Richard," Dinah murmured, picking the cape up from the floor. "This must belong to him."

"Klarion," Artemis muttered with disgust. "He'll have taken the prince to the Forbidden Mountain, I bet."

Megan's expression was one of fear. "But we can't go there," she stammered. Her face was pale and her kind hazel eyes were round with terror.

The oldest of the fairies put a comforting hand on Megan's shoulder. "We can," the black clad woman said firmly. "And we will. The prince is Zee's only hope. Be brave, Megan. We are in this together."

Megan nodded. She and her two blonde companions turned themselves miniature again so that they could travel.

Klarion's fortress practically oozed wickedness. The castle was large and black, placed at the very top of the biggest mountain range in the land. A permanent black cloud swirled over the domain. Lightning crackled and thunder roared. These sounds were particularly loud because of Klarion's good moon.

The three fairies stood at the base of the mountain. Megan looked up at the castle with trepidation. Dinah patted her shoulder again. And then the three took deep breaths and began the long march up the drawbridge.

Getting into Klarion's domain was slow going. The fairies could not afford to be seen by any of Klarion's minions. Going up against the Lord of Chaos was a big enough risk on its own; he did not need to be tipped off about their presence. It was incredibly lucky that the goons on duty never spotted them.

When Megan, Dinah, and Artemis were quite sure they were past all of the guards on the perimeter, they took to the skies to see if they could find any clues. They hovered high above the castle. It was Artemis who spotted a large group of Klarion's goblins dancing and chanting in primitive language around a roaring fire of the imp's signature brilliant blue flames.

She waved Dinah and Megan over to her. When they saw the way the creatures were behaving, both the black and pink fairies made faces of great disgust. "They're barbarians," Megan whispered, clearly horrified at the display.

Klarion sat on his throne. His face wore a smug, snakelike grin. The trio saw his lips moving. Megan quickly cast a spell so that they could hear Klarion's words.

"It is a pity that Prince Richard is not here to join in our celebration," he remarked to Teekl. The Lord of Chaos stroked the familiar lazily. Artemis clenched her fists and felt her blood begin to boil. Dinah's face showed that she clearly agreed.

In the throne room, the imp laughed cruelly and stood. "Come along, Teekl. We must go to the dungeon and cheer him up."

This was the trio's chance. They made sure that none of the goblins were looking at them and then followed after Klarion.

It was easy to see Klarion's dark figure make its way down a long flight of stone steps. The tunnel was surprisingly well lit. the fairies hung back as Klarion took an iron key from its peg by the door. He fitted it into the lock and then stepped inside the dungeon.

Immediately, Artemis, Megan, and Dinah followed after the imp. They watched through the slots in the dungeon door as the demon approached Prince Richard.

The prince was bound to the dungeon wall completely. Iron manacles were secured around both of his wrists and both of his ankles. Despite the fact that he was completely at Klarion's mercy, Richard had the gall to glare up at his captor. "Let me go," the prince commanded gruffly. He had to be frightened out of his mind but did not give Klarion the satisfaction of knowing that.

"I like him," Artemis told her companions. Both of the older girls quieted her.

"And why would I do that?" Klarion simpered. "Our fun has only just begun, dear boy."

Klarion conjured himself a throne identical to the one in his throne room. He settled down on it as if he intended to stay for quite awhile. "My dear prince, you have quite the future ahead of you. You fancy yourself the dashing hero of a charming fairy tale come to life, I imagine. The maiden you met today is in fact the princess you've been betrothed to. Isn't that a wonderful coincidence, Richard?" he asked in a tone that was entirely too pleasant for Klarion.

"You see," Klarion went on, "those foolish little fairies don't know that I know that the princess isn't dead. All those years ago I knew that that wretched little Artemis would do something to combat my curse. And she did. She made it so that if Princess Zatanna were kissed by her true love – that would be you – she would wake up and everything would be sunshine and rainbows."

"True love," the prince repeated. Despite everything, a brief little smile crossed Richard's handsome face.

The imp bobbed his head. "It's absolutely sickening. So here is what I'm going to do. You are going to stay in this dungeon until you are old and gray. Then I will set you free. You'll still be able to wake your precious princess, but I daresay she won't have much use for you. She will still be young and lovely, and you shall be older than her father."

Richard got to his feet. The smile was completely gone now, leaving only anger in its wake. He lunged for Klarion but of course could not reach the demon.

Artemis let out a gasp at Klarion's words. The imp's plans were cruel and it was clear that he was only doing these things for the fun of it. How could it possibly benefit him in any way to make the young royals suffer so?

Teekl's sharp eyes turned towards the fairies as soon as the sound escaped from Artemis's lips. Dinah and Megan acted quickly, each seizing one of the green girl's arms and pulling her and themselves out of sight. Finally, the familiar turned back to his master.

Klarion reached for the cat. He patted the top of Teekl's head. "Come along, my pet. We will leave our dear Prince Richard to these happy thoughts." The familiar trotted along at Klarion's heels as the demon crossed the small cell to the door. When the trio saw him coming, they dove behind an ugly gargoyle. They were able to hide just in time to avoid being seen.

The Lord of Chaos turned the key in the lock. "I shall sleep well tonight," he declared to Teekl as they started up the long staircase together.

When he was completely out of sight, the fairies jumped into action immediately. They flew into the cell through the slots in the door. The prince was sitting with his face in his hands. The pink fairy felt a rush of sympathy. Megan, Dinah, and Artemis quickly transformed into their full sized selves. Richard looked up in alarm. His blue eyes were wide.

Megan pressed a finger to her lips. "Be quiet, please, Your Majesty. We are here to help."

He nodded. "I remember you. You are the three good fairies."

"That's right," Dinah said, pleased. She pointed her wand at one of the shackles. It opened instantly.

"Zatanna is still alive?" Richard questioned. "It is not too late for me to go to her?"

Artemis shook her head. She unlocked the final shackle. "But don't think for a moment that you have seen the last of Klarion," she warned the mortal. "This is going to be very dangerous."

Megan and Dinah looked to each other. They exchanged a grim nod at the younger woman's assessment. "We will arm you, Prince Richard."

Dinah waved her wand. "This is the shield of virtue," the black fairy explained as a large shield appeared on his arm. "It will be impervious to Klarion's magic."

The pink fairy summoned forth a sword. "This is the sword of truth. It never fails its master. Your aim will be swift and sure when you wield this sword."

Richard took a couple of practice swings with his new weapon. It felt good in his hands. He had a feeling that the sword would serve him well.

The green fairy aimed her wand at the door. It sprung open in an instant.

The quartet ran out of the dungeon together. However, they were met by Teekl on the stairs. The cat took off lightning fast, howling at the top of his lungs and creating a terrible racket.

They all froze for a moment. How quickly could Teekl reach his master? If they took off after the cat, they could be walking into a trap.

"This way," the prince hissed as he started down a corridor that led the opposite way. Megan, Dinah, and Artemis followed in the royal's footsteps. They hoped against all odds that wherever he was leading them had an exit.

The prince's path led to another staircase. The heroes started up the steps, only to have a run in with a gang of Klarion's goons. Prince Richard slashed at the minions, which gave them pause. It was enough time for the quartet to scramble back down the flight of steps. They turned down another hallway. Light was visible at the end of the corridor. The fairies rushed down it while Richard brought up the rear, hacking and slashing with the sword of truth.

Ace was chained to a pillar in the courtyard. Dinah freed the stallion at once. Richard was pulling himself into the saddle when they heard Teekl howl again. The young royal looked up to see another group of minions. They were perched high above the courtyard and they were armed with boulders. The goblins pushed with all their might until the rocks began to fall.

Richard felt his heart race. His shield was specifically for magic, not rocks. And there was no way he could protect Ace as well. Surely they would be crushed.

"Oh no you don't!" Artemis bellowed. With a flick of her wand, the green fair transformed the boulders into flower petals. They floated harmlessly to the ground.

Richard hastily clambered into the saddle. Ace began to gallop across the courtyard. Teekl began to howl once more. The familiar darted up towards the tower that held Klarion's bedchamber.

Artemis was more than a little tired of Klarion's familiar. She saw that Richard and her fellow fairies had almost cleared the walls of the fortress. The green fairy allowed a satisfied smirk to cross her face. She chased after him, casting spell after spell and sending them his way. The feline dodged them expertly. He grew steadily closer to the tower door, still howling with all his might.

Finally, Artemis managed to hit the cat with her magic. Green sparks exploded around Teekl and turned him to stone. Satisfied with this, the youngest fairy turned and followed after the rest of her group.

Klarion appeared in the doorway. "What is the meaning of all this racket?" screeched the imp. "We will continue to celebrate my victory in the morning. For now, I must rest."

His dark eyes slid over the now stone form of his beloved familiar. He began to shake with a murderous rage. "How dare you!" bellowed Klarion.

Prince Richard and his mount were nearly clear of the fortress. They had just reached the drawbridge . Klarion used his dark magic to pull the bridge up.

"Just keep going!" Megan ordered. "We'll see to it that you land safely!"

The prince nodded. "You heard her, boy," he said. Ace kept galloping as instructed. He leapt as high as he could and nearly made it across the gap. The fairies caught the steed with their magic and set him down gently on the other side.

Klarion climbed to the tallest tower of his fortress. This gave him a better vantage point to see the escaping prince and the trio of fairies.

"A forest of thorns will be your tomb," the Lord of Chaos chanted. "Born of the sky to bring your doom! Now go, wicked curse, serve me well. Around the palace, cast my spell!"

A thick cloud in Klarion's signature vivid blue began to swirl around Giovanni's palace in the distance. There was a loud clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning struck down the drawbridge that led to the palace. A patch of thorns, thick and gnarled, began to grow. More lightning struck and thorns sprang up wherever it touched. The brambles spread slowly but surely toward the prince and his horse. Ace stopped suddenly.

Richard hacked and slashed at the brambles as best he could using his enchanted sword. He was aided by the fairies. The process was agonizingly slow, but together they cut a path through the thicket of thorns. As soon as the way forward was clear once more, ace began to gallop towards the castle.

"No!" Klarion screeched. This was not supposed to happen. No mere mortal was allowed to defeat him! He was the Lord of Chaos, the Master of all evil! "I will not allow this!"

The demon teleported himself to the path in front of the king's castle in a flash of blue light. He laughed his evil laugh.

Ace reared up on his hind legs in fright. Richard's blue eyes were wide with horror. But he knew that the only way for him to get to Zatanna would be to face Klarion, so the prince called forth every ounce of courage he possessed.

"Now you shall deal with me, dear prince, and all the powers of hell!" Klarion declared.

The imp was engulfed in blue light once more. His form shifted and grew until it resembled what Richard recognized as a dragon.

It was a monstrous beast. Its scales were Klarion's signature vivid blue and it snapped its jaws angrily. The prince only felt his resolve strengthen. He was the only hope to rid the land of Klarion for good. He and Ace charged forward to meet the beast.

The fairies lurked behind Prince Richard. As the future king rode off to the battle, Artemis attempted to go to his aid. Dinah held her back. "This is Richard's battle now, dear," she said.

Richard and Ace continued to charge at Klarion. The dragon blew a great gulf of blue flames at the two. Richard threw his shield up to protect himself, but the force of the fire was so great that he was thrown off of Ace. The trio of fairies quickly cast a protective spell on the horse to keep him impervious to the flames.

A second shower of flames burned away a section of the path between Richard and Klarion. The prince stumbled back to avoid falling into the chasm that Klarion had just created.

Richard was an extremely clever young man. He took advantage of the smoke that had appeared with Klarion's flames. He dashed back into the forest of thorns. The prince waited until Klarion drew close, looking for him. The fairies waited with their hands over their mouths. Ace whinnied in distress.

Klarion moved closer, seeking his prey. He hissed in annoyance and snapped his jaws loudly. As soon as the dragon was within range, Prince Richard leapt out from his hiding space. He sliced the dragon clean across its snout. Klarion roared furiously and drew back from the prince.

The dragon breathed flames at every inch of the thorn forest until it was completely ablaze. Richard scrambled away until he backed up against a cliff that had formed due to Klarion's actions. "Climb!" Artemis shouted.

Richard did just that. Klarion lunged for him again, his great jaws snapping angrily. The dragon climbed atop the ledge with him, effectively backing Richard to the edge of the cliff. Below the cliff was nothing but blue flames.

Another jet of fire knocked Richard's shield into the fiery pit below. Artemis, Megan, and Dinah joined the prince in his battle. They all pointed their wands at the sword clenched in Richard's hand.

"Sword of truth, fly straight and true," they said together. "Ensure that evil shall lose and good shall endure."

The prince knew what he had to do. He flung the sword at Klarion with all of his might. It landed in the center of the dragon's chest. Sticky crimson blood began to ooze from Klarion's wound. The dragon made a terrible shrieking sound. Klarion staggered forward and nearly knocked Richard into the inferno. The prince managed to hang on by his fingertips and pulled himself onto the cliff just as Klarion fell into the inferno.

And then the dragon vanished. All that remained of the Lord of Chao was the sword that had killed him, the blade of which blackened and then crumpled into ash.

Ace was released from his bubble by Megan's magic. The steed went to his master's side. Richard pulled himself to his feet as the trio of fairies came to join him and Ace.

The prince patted his mount wearily."Well Ace, I suppose you've earned those carrots after all," the prince said. Ace made a joyous sound.

It was a long trudge up to the castle. As the group of heroes made their way up to the palace all of the destruction Klarion had caused was repaired.

Richard dashed into the courtyard. It was full of sleeping nobility. He paid them little mind, however. His eyes scanned the palace for the tallest tower where he knew Zatanna lay asleep.

"This way, dear," Megan told him. She and the other fairies led him up the spiral staircase to Zatanna's bedchamber. He was halfway across the room when Artemis stopped him.

"Your Majesty, perhaps you should let us clean you up," she suggested kindly.

Richard looked down at himself. His clothes were badly singed in places and reeked of smoke. "You are correct," he replied. He stood very still so that his companions could work their magic. His midnight blue tunic was repaired, as were his breeches and boots. The cape that had fallen off in his scuffle with Klarion's minions hung around his shoulders once more.

"You look very handsome, Your Majesty," Megan offered kindly. And then she and her fellow fairies left the prince to his princess.

The future king looked down at his bride. She looked especially lovely, he thought. There was a golden crown in her long dark locks and she was wearing a violet gown. There was even a rose in her hands. Upon further reflection, he recognized Queen Sindella's delicate features in Zatanna's face and wondered why he had not seen the resemblance before.

Prince Richard knelt at Zatanna's side. He pressed his lips to hers gently.

Zatanna's cerulean eyes fluttered open. Her mouth curved into a smile. "It's you," she murmured. "I am confused. You were the prince all along? How did I end up in bed? And what was that strange laughter I heard?"

He frowned. "That was probably Klarion, the Lord of Chaos. He cursed you when you were a baby. That is why the fairies took you away."

She considered his words for a moment. "That does make sense. But where is he now?"

"You needn't worry about him any longer, my darling. Klarion shall not harm you again."

"Truly?" Zatanna questioned.

"Truly," the prince answered. He rested his forehead against hers.

Now the princess grinned. "Then I suppose you may kiss me again."

Richard obeyed without complaint. When he broke the kiss, he smiled at the maiden. "I am told there is to be quite the party in celebration of your return," he said. "And I am sure your parents are quite anxious to see you." The royal got to his feel and offered her his arm. Together, they made their way down the spiral staircase.

Trumpets announced their arrival to the gathered nobility. The guests cheered and clapped for their princess, but the maiden did not once lift her gaze away from Richard. He kept his gaze on her as well.

The young royal couple walked up to Giovanni and Sindella's thrones. Richard had just started to sink into a bow when King Bruce suddenly moved to stand in front of his son. "What is the meaning of this?" the visiting monarch inquired. "The last time I spoke to you, you had sworn not to marry Zatanna."

"Father," Richard said in a tired voice, "it is a very long story. I shall have to tell you of it some other time."

"I look forward to that," the king said dryly. He then turned his gaze to the princess. He took her hand and kissed it. "Princess Zatanna, I know you do not remember me, but it is good to see you again. I am King Bruce. And if I may, Princess, you look just like your mother."

She smiled, pleased at this compliment. She watched the other king move away. She curtsied to her mother and father as Richard bowed.

Queen Sindella held out her arms. Zatanna hurried toward her mother at once and embraced her. "It is good to have you home," the queen said in her gentle voice. Sindella pulled back and touched her daughter's face. "We have so many things to talk about. I look forward to it, my dear."

The princess smiled again. "I look forward to it as well, Mother," she replied. And Zee truly meant that. She looked up at King Giovanni, who smiled down at her with a proud expression on his features. "Father," Zatanna said simply. She moved to embrace her other parent. The king's hold was tight. The princess felt her father's lips brush against her forehead.

Zatanna turned back to Richard. The prince held out his hand to her. She took it and he led her into the center of the room. The musicians struck up a waltz for the couple to dance to. Zee was vaguely aware of other lords and ladies joining them, but to tell the truth she only had eyes for her intended.

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..." He murmured so that only she could hear him.

"I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam..." the princess replied.

The trio of fairies were watching the festivities from one of the balconies overlooking the throne room. Artemis and Dinah were surprised to see Megan wiping at her eyes with a pink handkerchief. "Megan dear, whatever is the matter?" Dinah questioned.

"I love a happy ending," the redhead gushed. Her hazel gaze fell on the prince and princess once more. "Her dress is purple!" she exclaimed, as if it had only just occurred to her. "Make it yellow."

Artemis promptly turned the garment purple once more. Another fight broke out between the two younger fairies, with Zee's dress changing color at every turn. The princess was oblivious to this, however, and danced on with her prince.

And they lived happily ever after.


End file.
